


Love is Only an Illusion

by JB3islife



Category: Now You See Me (Movies)
Genre: Explicit Language, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Follows movie with added content, Light Smut, Sex, Sexual Content, Sexual Frustration, Sexual Humor, Smut, mature - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-13
Updated: 2018-08-14
Packaged: 2018-12-01 16:14:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 36
Words: 50,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11490000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JB3islife/pseuds/JB3islife
Summary: Does love really exist, or is it only an illusion meant to trap two lovers? After all, J. Daniel Atlas doesn’t do the “relationship thing.”THERE IS ONLY TWO CHAPTERS WITH TEEN/MATURE CONTENT! WARNINGS WILL BE ADDED WHEN NECESSARY!





	1. Chapter I

**Author's Note:**

> Please feel free to let me know what you think! I work extremely hard on my work and appreciate constructive criticism (good or bad).

“Ready?” Sutton’s cousin asked her as she was reapplying her dark red lipstick. Her cousin’s slim arms wrapped around Sutton’s shoulders, her head sitting atop her own.

Sutton puckered her lips a few times before dabbing them with a napkin. “Ready,” she smiled.

The two held hands as they walked on stage, smiling brightly to the crowd. Sutton watched in amazement as her cousin cupped her hand slightly, making her look more like the princess Sutton saw her as.

They were a two woman team made up of an escape artist and a mentalists who dabbles in some card tricks. The two were inseparable since Sutton’s cousin left her assisting job.

“Hello, Los Angeles! We are the Reeves Girls!” the women announced, raising their interlocking hands to the sky. Cheers erupted from the crowd. The rush of performing flew through the girls’ bodies.

Act after act, the girls performed. Sometimes individually, sometimes as a team. The crowd loved when they tag-teamed, especially the men.

Henley hollered as she reached the top of her platform, Sutton situated beside the large water tank. “Okay, Los Angeles! Are we ready to end this thing?” Henley asked. The crowd responded positively.

“When that timer hits zero,” Sutton declared into her headset, “a tank full of flesh-eating piranhas will fall from above!”

The male assistants strapped Henley in. “A lady has to have handcuffs, right, girls?” Henley joked with the female viewers. “One, two three!” Her clothes were ripped from her body, revealing the sparkly short outfit she insisted on wearing.

Sutton rolled her eyes as whistles and cheers were heard. She watched as Henley gave a small dance and a bright smile. After all, Henley was the more popular of the two. She was the reason they could afford such great performances, not to mention a place to rest their heads at night.

The timer went off, and in Henley fell. Sutton stood beside the tank, acting as though she were afraid for her cousin as Henley struggled with the cuffs. She unlocked one and raised her arm in triumph.

As the timer ticked down, Henley began to panic. That was Sutton’s cue.

“Oh, my God!” Sutton screamed, rushing to the tank. She slammed her fists on it, mimicking her cousin’s actions. “Someone help!” she called to the crowd.

Two male audience members rushed to the tank. “She’s serious! She can’t get out!” one told me. No, shit, Sutton thought, forcing herself not to roll her eyes.

One of the males yelled something, but Sutton couldn’t understand it. Another male returned with a pipe. He ran straight for Henley’s tank. One of the original males pulled Sutton out of the way, holding her. Sutton shook in fear to make the performance more real.

Henley managed to remove her leg chains, emerging at the surface of the water with a deep intake of breath. It was too late as the blood-hungry fish fell on her. Sutton slammed her eyes shut and held her ears closed with her hands, muffling Henley’s scream. Although it was all part of the act, Sutton hated hearing it.

The crowd began to scream, and the man holding Sutton left to try to find Henley in the tank. Sutton stumbled and ended up on the floor. The water from the tanks splashed onto her. She buried her head in her arms, hiding from the image of Henley’s terrified face and the bloody water.

“Come on! This is bullshit!” Sutton heard, causing her to get up from her seated position. “Whoever thought of this is a sick sadist!”

The crowd erupted in cheers once more as they realized the escape artist was still alive and well. Henley stayed in the crowd, fist-pumping and high-fiving members.

Sutton walked to the top of the platform to wait for Henley, who followed shortly after her. “We are the Reeves Girls! Goodnight!” the two yelled, interlocking their fingers once more. They stood for some time, but rushed to the back dressing room.

“That was awesome, Sut!” Henley squealed to her cousin, grabbing her dry clothes and heading to the bathroom.

Sutton laughed. “They always love you, Hen.” She sat on the arm of the couch as she waited for Henley to emerge from the bathroom.

“You were great, though!” Henley responded, not wanting her cousin to think low of herself. “I mean, did you see the look on their faces when you hypnotized that girl with her favorite singer?”

Sutton chuckled to herself, recalling the memory. The girl stated her favorite singer was Shawn Mendes, so Sutton made sure the girl would sing, “I'll be needing stitches,” every time she heard the singer’s name. It would wear off in a week, so no big deal.

Sutton was in her own world, staring at the floor when Henley emerged from the bathroom in dark blue jeans and a brown shirt. Sutton gave a slight smile as Henley spun. “Beautiful as always,” she said.

Henley smiled. “You’re the best cousin ever!” She grabbed Sutton’s hand and they ran out the door, back into the area they had just performed in.

The two were giggling about the performance as Henley continued to towel-dry her hair. Sutton froze in her footsteps as they passed the water tank.

“What’s up?” Henley asked when she noticed Sutton’s footsteps were no longer in sync with her own.

Sutton made her way over to the tank, peering inside. “Look, Hen.”

Henley’s heels clicked behind Sutton. A piranha swam in front of what appeared to be a card. “Woah,” she whispered.

“I-I think it’s meant for you,” Sutton blushed, sorry she had found it.

Henley gave her a small smile. “I’m sure you got one, too.”

Sutton shook her head. “No, Hen,” she sighed. “You and I both know that you’ve always been the hot one, the favorite performer, the-“

“Sutton, shut up!” Henley laughed, causing Sutton to look over at her. Henley was twirling a card in her hand by the steps of the platform.

Sutton smiled, ripping it from between Henley’s red painted nails. She stared at it in amazement.

“Now,” Henley said, placing her hands on her hips, “how the hell am I supposed to get my card out?”


	2. Chapter II

“We are so going to be late,” Sutton nervously spoke, biting on a hang nail. It was March 29, and currently 4:15 pm. They were 29 minutes ahead of schedule.

“Relax,” Henley said, hailing a taxi. When the car pulled up, she opened the door for Sutton, and told the driver, “45 East Evan Street,” as she handed him a five dollar bill.

As soon as Henley had slammed the door shut, Sutton realized what she was doing and quickly put the window down. “Where are you going?”

“Going to get coffee,” Henley explained. “You’re getting on my nerves.”

“Get me a hot chocolate!” she yelled as her taxi went one way, her cousin the other.

Sutton sighed. Henley would ditch her when they were only five minutes away. After all, it wasn’t Sutton’s fault she grew up being on time for every little thing.

“What are you heading to 45 East Evan Street for?” the taxi driver asked.

Sutton smiled kindly at the man. “It’s a meeting.” The driver nodded, not wanting to intrude.

As the taxi came to a halt outside an older looking building, Sutton told the driver to keep the change. He thanked her, reminding her to have a nice day. He pulled the yellow vehicle back into traffic slowly once Sutton was safely on the sidewalk.

“Wow,” she whispered, staring up at the great building before her. Back home, these structures were not common. The wind whipped her hair around her face. Brushing the red strands away, Sutton wrapped her arms around her waist tightly, in hopes of holding her body heat in.

Sutton contemplated waiting for Henley, but decided against it. After all, she had been ditched by her cousin. She made the short trip up the stairs, but was stopped dead in her tracks.

“Oh-Kay,” the man said, staring intently at her, “so, apparently neither of us was the first one chosen.” Sutton giggled slightly as the man looked at the ground. “Let me be the first one to kick my ego to the curb.”

The man appeared to be in his late 40s. A black fedora sat atop his head. Even though he wasn’t fancily dressed, Sutton felt well underdressed in her shredded blue skinny jeans, North Carolina Tar Heels sweatshirt, and Under Armour camo hat. The only “dressy” item on her body was the brown heeled lace up booties she loved.

“Are you-?”

“Wait, you know me?” the man asked, placing his hand over his chest in shock.

“Yeah, of course!” Sutton exclaimed. “You’re Merritt McKinney. I watched all of your acts. You’re the reason I started practicing mentalism.”

Merritt flushed red slightly at the base of his neck. “Well, I don’t want to pick my ego back up again, but what the he-“

“I think you know exactly what I’ve been up to, Danny. I saw all your anonymous postings on my website.”

“You have a website? That’s good, good for you. Get the word out.”

Sutton stood with her arms crossed over her chest beside the door knob as Henley and her new friend rounded the top of the stairs. Henley stared at her, eyes widening as she came to a stop. Her friend repeated her motions.

“Oh,” they said in unison.

“Wow, this really is an ego kicker, huh?” Merritt joked as the pair began walking again.

“Yeah, excuse me,” the young man with Henley said.

“Door’s locked,” Merritt told him.

“Is it? I’ll check,” he replied, coming closer to Sutton. He smirked slightly at her and jiggled the knob. Sutton watched as he moved his hand over the frame of the door, trying to find a way in.

“You,” Merritt announced, Sutton’s attention drawing to him. “Now, hold it, don’t tell me. Uh, Helen? No, no. Henley.”

“It’s on your coffee cup,” the younger man replied matter-of-factly. Henley held her coffee cup up, smiling.

“Thanks for keeping me honest,” the mentalist smiled at him. “That wasn’t mentalism, by the way. It was just an observation. Second observation, you are beautiful.”

Sutton rolled her eyes as Henley thanked the stranger, as if she hadn’t heard it so many times before.

“Oh, Sut,” Henley blurted, as if remember I was there. “Here’s your hot chocolate. I even got you extra whipped cream.” Sutton smiled lightly as she thanked her cousin.

The young man looked at Henley, then at Sutton, and back at Henley once more. “Wait, you know her?” he asked Henley.

“Yes, Danny,” Henley rolled her eyes. She walked over to stand next to Sutton. “This is my cousin Sutton, the other “Reeves Girl,” jackass.”

He stared at the two girls before him. He looked Sutton up and down, noticing the only trait linking her to Henley was her hair color. His eyes settled on Sutton before saying, “You look different when you perform.”

It was Sutton’s turn to roll her eyes. “It’s my day off, jackass. I wear my glasses when I don’t need to be on stage.”

Henley giggled as the young man threw a comeback. “Well, I can certainly tell you don’t care about your appearance when you’re not performing.”

Sutton’s mouth flew open and Henley smacked him. “Sorry not all girls dress to your standards, control freak,” Sutton mumbled.

“I was going to call him out on being a control freak!” Merritt laughed, coming back into the conversation.

“I’m sorry, have I met either of you before?” Danny asked.

“It doesn’t take a mentalist, or two, to figure that out,” Henley stated. “You are a control freak.”

“Well, I take that as a compliment.”

“Only he would take it as a compliment.”

“Good, another compliment.”

“So, that’s why they’re no longer a couple?” Merritt asked me. Sutton’s eyes grew wide.

“No!” Henley yelled, not wanting Sutton to get the wrong idea. “We were never a couple. He used to saw me in half.”

“She was a very good assistant.”

“Yeah, but I was too fat for Danny.”

“Uh, no. I said that one time because of the-the trap door.”

“No one could fit through there. No one.”

“Rebecca fit through. Rebecca fit for years. Hell, your cousin certainly could,” Danny stated, gesturing toward Sutton. He winked at her as she tried to formulate a sentence.

“Okay,” Merritt rescued her, “so he never made you feel special, and trust me you deserve to be made to feel special.”

Sutton almost threw up her lunch at that comment.

“That’s a really nice story,” Danny said. “Hope you guys enjoy each other’s company,” he whispered under his breath, turning away from the couple and toward Sutton. He raised an eyebrow at her as he noticed their closeness.

“No way,” a male’s voice arose. Sutton looked at him, his Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat. She felt her knees go slightly weak. “J. Daniel Atlas. Dude, I’ve seen everything that you have ever done. I mean, you’re like- I-I idolize you, seriously.”

“From a true fan,” Danny replied, shaking the younger man’s hand. “No, it’s so nice to meet you.”

“I’m Jack, by the way,” he smiled, then turned his attention toward Sutton. Before they had the time to introduce themselves, Merritt interrupted them.

“So, this is all nice and everything, but did you get one of these?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Jack said, rummaging in his pocket. “Death.”

“The High Priestess.”

“The Tower.”

“The Lover.”

Henley coughed, “Three minutes.” Sutton chuckled, receiving a glare from Danny.

“Hermit.”

“So, uh, what are we- are we waiting for someone? Why are we just-“

“The door’s locked,” they all replied to a stuttering Jack.

“Oh, no. Nothing, nothing’s ever locked,” Jack stated. They all gave each other a look as he took out a bobby pin and jimmied it in the keyhole.


	3. Chapter III

The door to the room of unknown swung open. The group had their flashlights and phones ready to use. Henley stepped through first, asking the obvious question, “What is this place?”

Sutton shot her light in the direction of an old bathroom. She crinkled her nose at the sight as Merritt said, “Oh, wow. Thought my apartment was nasty.”

“Man, it’s freezing in here,” Jack shook.

Sutton snorted a laugh. “This is cold for you? Try living in Pennsylvania, the bipolar state.”

Jack chuckled as Danny shot Sutton a quick glare. She rolled her eyes for what seemed to be the umpteenth time, annoyed by the demeanor the illusionist put off.

“What’s that?” Henley asked as they entered a large open room.

“I don’t know,” Danny replied as he moved closer to the piece of paper set nicely on the ground. It was obviously meant for them.

“What’s it say?” Merritt asked as he begun to follow Sutton’s movements of traveling the room.

“’Now you don’t.’”

“’A rose by any other name…’” Henley quoted as she picked up the flower, making Sutton cringe.

“I hate Shakespeare,” she whispered as she watched her cousin place the white rose in the vase.

Suddenly, water began to flow from the bottom of the vase, as if the delicate flower had protruded through. “Guys, what’s happening?” Jack questioned them.

Sutton and Merritt ‘woah’ed silently as they watched in amazement. Someone said, “Look at that,” but Sutton was too consumed in the flowing water to take notice who. As the water filled the strange symbol on the wooden floor, it lowered and a cloudy substance emerged.

“It’s gas!” Jack exclaimed.

Merritt rolled his eyes. “Relax. Just dry ice.”

“Cool,” the Reeves girls admired, smiling at each other.

“Wait, what do you think this is all about?” Danny threw the question into the air, and Merritt was the first to grab hold.

“Hang on. Hang on,” he pleaded, pretended to think deeply. He closed his eyes as Danny stared. “I got nothin’.” Sutton giggled at the mentalist’s joke.

Danny glared at her once more. “Okay, thank you. Thank you for the delay.”

“I’m just trying to create the space for wisdom.”

“Danny, be honest. Did you do this?” Henley asked, walking through the dry ice.

“No,” he admitted. “Wait, did you?”

“Wha- I wish,” Jack smiled innocently.

“Why didn’t anyone ask me if I did it?” Merritt asked. Everyone seemed to ignore the question.

“No one appreciates our talent,” Sutton whispered, patting the elder man on the back.

“Oh, great.”

Sutton noticed Danny flipping a light switch, so she walked over to him. “Electricity out?” she asked, just loud enough for him to hear. He nodded and shot his flashlight over toward a door.

“Electricity’s out,” Jack confirmed loudly. Sutton heard Danny chuckle, causing her to smile.

“Well, let’s check.” Merritt turned a light bulb belonging to a small chandelier. With it lit, a murmur sounded and a bright light shot between Sutton and Danny from the door.

“Blueprints,” the Reeves girls said in unison, walking closer to the design.

“They’re incredible,” Danny stated, sneaking up behind Sutton.

“Who do you think did this?” Jack questioned.

“I don’t know, but I really want to meet them,” Sutton admitted, mesmerized by the blue sight before her.

“It’s a show,” added Henley.

Danny touched the symbol that resembled the one on the ground moments before. It made a dinging sound, and more details were revealed to the group.

“What do you think this means?” Sutton asked, taking a seat on the ground by Danny’s feet. She folded her legs as Danny watched her, but he quickly turned his attention back to the blueprints when Sutton looked up.

“I think whoever did this wants us to become a team,” Jack figured.

“Oh, no!” Merritt shouted. “Do not tell me I’m going to need to spend more time with you people.”

“Wow, Merritt,” Henley scoffed, “how sweet of you to say.”

“Oh, not you girls!” Merritt exclaimed, shaking his hands out in front of him. “I meant Mr. Control Freak over there.” He pointed to Danny who had just crouched down next to Sutton, staring up at the plans. “Oh, and Jacky over there can be the butler!” Jack made a face at Merritt’s words.

“Oh, but I really want to spend more time with you,” Danny sarcastically responded, stroking his chin as he returned to contemplating the plans. Sutton snorted a giggle and Danny gave her a side smile as he looked her up and down.

“Look, if we are going to go through with this, we will need to spend a lot of time together,” Henley concluded. “So, who has a place?”

Everyone looked toward one another, but Sutton stated, “Our’s is big enough, Hen.”

Henley sighed. “I guess it will work, so long as you three respect a girl’s privacy!”

“Cross my heart,” Merritt said as he traced an ‘X’ on his chest.

“Just give me a roof over my head and I’ll be happy,” Jack smiled thankfully.

~~

The newly formed team traveled by taxi to the Reeves girls’ current residence. As soon as the boys entered, they dropped their belongings on the floor, mouths agape. Merritt took no time in claiming the couch, his fedora covering his eyes as if on cue.

“Holy shit,” Jack gasped, making a beeline for the kitchen and flinging open the refrigerator door. “Sorry, this is rude, but can I have this sandwich?”

“Go for it, Wilder,” Sutton giggled. “It’s a turkey flatbread with caramelized onions.”

Jack took a bite, his eyes rolling to the back of his head. “This is amazing.”

“It’s supposed to be eaten warm,” Henley pointed out. “Sutton makes the best food.”

“You cook?” Danny asked, raising an eyebrow at Sutton as she maneuvered into the living room area, sitting on the arm chair to remove her booties.

“Yep.”

“Nice,” Danny responded. “Good for you to, you know, keep up the traditional female role.”

“Ouch,” Merritt commented, removing his fedora from his eyes. A twinkle in his blue eyes showed his interest in a fight between the two.

“Listen, Atlas,” Sutton stated with a sigh, “if you want to be the typical male who thinks women should still be “popping out babies and baking pies,” that’s fine.” She took a glance at Merritt who sighed with disappointment, for he knew there would be no fight. “However, if you want to live under my roof, you should rethink that.”

Danny stared at her in disbelief. Jack smiled and mouthed, “Wow” as Henley smirked at her cousin’s composure.

“I-I-I,” Danny stuttered, a slight blush creeping into his cheeks. Sutton smirked, proud of herself.

“It’s okay, Danny,” Henley stated, patting him on the shoulder, “when you have a heart like Sutton, you don’t need to hear an apology. It’s written all over your blushing face.”

Danny brushed off Henley’s touch quickly. “I-I am not blushing,” he retorted, dramatically moving across the room to set his belongs down.

Sutton laughed at Danny’s recent shook up and continued onto her room to change.


	4. Chapter IV

Once in the confines of her bedroom, Sutton removed her current clothing and replaced it with her favorite kinds of clothing- a t-shirt and athletic shorts. Sutton shimmied into a pair of gray shorts and her favorite Harry Potter shirt. She left on her Nike socks, as they were worn constantly around the apartment due to the cold flooring. 

Pulling up her hair into a quick messy bun, Sutton walked of her bedroom, but not without running into Danny who was on his way to the bathroom. “I’m sorry,” she mumbled.

“It’s fine,” Danny replied, looking down at her shirt. “Cute shirt.” He winked at her as a smirk took over his lips.

Sutton squinted her eyes at him. As Danny closed the door, the smoke alarms started going off.

“Sutton, I need you!” Henley’s voice yelled. Sutton shrugged off Danny’s comment and made her way to the kitchen.

~~

The new friends ate pizza in almost complete silence. Henley chose to serve the boys pizza for their first night together, each one adding their own toppings. The only words leaving anyone’s mouth were barely understandable as they hungrily devoured each pie.

“I can’t eat another thing,” Merritt huffed as he rested against the back of his chair, patting his stomach.

They all agreed, but Jack. He stole the leftovers from the stove.

“Jack, how do you stay so fit with all the food you eat?” Henley asked.

Jack swallowed. “I work out a bit. You know, run five miles every morning, pushups throughout the day, crunches.”

Danny’s eyes grew wide in horror. “That’s insane!”

“But the chicks dig it, man!” Jack insisted, winking at Sutton and Henley.

“Oh, please, Wilder!” Sutton waved her hand at him. “You are so not my type.”

“Type?” Danny piped up, leaning closer toward Sutton’s right side. “You have a type?”

Sutton looked him up and down. “You ain’t it either, city boy.”

Everyone cracked up laughing as Danny stuttered, “City boy? Oh, and what are you?”

“She’s a country girl,” Henley announced, admiring her cousin with a smile. “The farmer’s daughter.”

The boys stared at her, as if they couldn’t believe it.

“A mentalist and a farm girl, huh?” Merritt asked, walking into the kitchen to refill his water glass. “You’ll make a lucky man happy, Sutton Reeves.”

Sutton blushed lightly, but was soon rolling her eyes when Danny asked, “What is so amazing about a ‘farm girl’?” Although she wanted to throw back a nasty comment, Sutton swallowed it.

Jack said, “Dude, they are some of the hardest working women you’ll ever meet.” He smiled at Sutton as she blushed again, but something in his smile told Sutton his next comment would be inappropriate. “Plus, those girls are the best in bed.”

Danny and Merritt choked on their drinks as Sutton and Henley burst into fits of laughter.

“How would you even know that, Jack?” Merritt asked as he regained his voice.

“I spent a day in New York’s rural area,” he smirked, leaning back as if he had outdone them all.

“I hope you aren’t trying to get in Sutton’s pants,” Henley commented. Sutton’s eyes went wide.

“Oh, I’m sure she would put up a fight,” he winked, noticing Sutton’s uncomfortable posture.

Sutton groaned, collecting everyone’s plates. “Is this how life is going to be from now on?”

“You better believe it, beautiful.” Jack threw another wink at her and stared as she walked into the kitchen.

Danny hit him on the arm and waited until Sutton had started the running water for the dishes. “You’re being so unprofessional.”

“Leave him go, Danny,” Henley intervened. “He’s just joking. It’s not like you haven’t slept with, what is your count now? 100?”

Danny scoffed. “It’s 101,” he joked, standing up from his place and traveling into the living room, where he returned to the same place as before.

Henley rolled her eyes. “Don’t mind him, boys,” she told Jack and Merritt. “He is just so used to everything being his way.”

“Oh, one of those personalities,” Merritt smirked. “This is going to be fun!”

The three laughed as Sutton asked, “Can someone dry these dishes?” Henley rolled her eyes and went to help her.

Jack and Merritt joined Danny in the living room. Merritt flopped down on the couch and Jack sat on the floor by it, turning on the television. He flipped through the channels until Danny yelled, “Can’t you just pick something?”

Jack looked over at him, annoyed with his attitude. “Someone needs to go to bed.” Danny ignored him as he did more card tricks.

“Leave the grumpy boy go, Jack,” Merritt said. “He’s just jealous because the girls like us better.”

Danny scoffed. “They do not. They simply take pity on you.”

“Oh, yeah, extreme pity.”

“Okay, boys,” Sutton announced, drying her hands on a dish towel. “We have two air mattresses in the closet, so someone needs to sleep on the couch.”

“Called it,” Merritt announced, rolling to face the back cushions.

Sutton smiled lightly at the elder gentleman. “You two, follow me.” Jack and Danny hoped up at her words. Sutton opened the closet door where she and Henley had stored props and other items over the years. A soccer ball rolled between Sutton and the boys.

Jack reached down and spun the ball in his hands. “You play?” he asked Sutton.

Sutton made a small laugh. “Did. Not so much since high school.”

Jack flipped the ball through the air. “I’m sure you still got it, Reeves.”

Sutton blushed. She wasn’t quite familiar with all this attention from a guy. Danny cleared his throat, as if to remind them he was there. “Oh, here’s the mattresses,” she said, crouching down and dragging out the boxes. “Have fun blowing them up.”


	5. Chapter V

The next morning, Sutton found herself not needing an alarm to wake her. The sun was shining brightly through the curtains and the birds were chirping loudly. Sutton silently thanked Henley for finding this apartment. It was just far enough away from the noisy crowds of New York to make her feel at home.

Grabbing her phone from her bedside table, Sutton made her way to the bathroom. She was taken aback by the closed door she was faced with. It was 7:30 am. Henley was never awake before 8:00, and even that was very rare for her to be up by.

The sound of the toilet flushing knocked Sutton back to reality, and a face emerged. She gasped a little at the sight.

“We really need to stop meeting here,” Danny’s groggy voice spoke as he leaned against the door frame.

Sutton gave him a weak smile, which was only to cover up how she was really feeling. It had been a long time since she had seen a guy in the morning, and hearing Danny’s morning voice sparked an interest deep inside her that she was not willing to admit.

“Oh, by the way,” Danny stuttered, giving Sutton access to the bathroom, “you don’t happen to have a tooth brush, do you? I kind of left mine, and I’m sure those snorers forgot one as well.”

A loud snore erupted from the living room as Sutton reassured Danny’s latest worry. He smiled at her before letting her continue with the all too familiar morning routine.

~~

Sutton danced to Every Time I Hear That Song by Blake Shelton as she flipped the m&m pancakes, thankful that Danny wasn’t in the kitchen. She swayed her hips to the voice of one of her favorite artist. As she did so, she ate a pancake for “taste testing.”

“That’s attractive,” a voice mumbled, making her jump. Sutton turned on her heel. Jack smiled at her as he scratched the back of his neck. “Oh, pancakes!”

“What’s attractive?” questioned Danny, coming into the kitchen and heading toward the fridge.

“Sutton was shaking it,” Jack told him, over exaggerating Sutton swaying her hips.

“I do not dance like that!” Sutton laughed loudly.

“Will you people please shut up?” Merritt yelled from the couch as he threw the blanket over his head.

“I need my beauty sleep!” Henley added from her room, slamming the door.

“Geez, they’re grouchy in the morning,” Jack analyzed, carrying the plate of pancakes to the dining room table, followed by Danny with the pitcher of orange juice.

“Henley always complained about needing “beauty sleep” when she was my assistant,” Danny said as Sutton handed each boy a plate.

“More pancakes for us,” Sutton commented, taking three for herself.

~~

After breakfast, Sutton decided she should get dressed before Henley wakes up. When they moved in together, Henley constantly complained about Sutton wearing the same clothes she slept in for the rest of the day. Sutton pulled off her clothing and replaced it with a faded maroon sweatshirt and jean shorts. After sticking in her contacts, she twisted her hair at the back of her head slightly.

When Sutton emerged into the living space once more, Henley was already dressed and washing the dishes. Merritt was holding his stomach as he made his way back to the couch.

“What do you put in your food?” Merritt asked. “Bricks? I feel like I weigh three times my normal weight.” Sutton giggled.

“Alright, can we please get started on this project?” Danny asked, rushing over to the table. Sutton noticed the blueprints were on his laptop screen.

“I just ate! I need a nap!” Merritt exclaimed.

“Fine, you do whatever,” Danny stuttered, “but the rest of us are going to get started.”

“Danny, relax,” Henley told him. “We have plenty of time.”

“I don’t care how much time there is, we need to start this,” he retorted.

Jack and Sutton stared at the two as they begun to bicker. It hasn’t even been a day of them reuniting and already Henley and Danny were at each other’s throats. Merritt came into the mix, threatening to tie them up.

“Guys,” Sutton started, only to realize her voice didn’t really matter.

“Come on,” Jack said, elbowing her in the ribs, “let’s take a walk.”

Sutton smiled lightly at him and quickly followed him out the door. The two stood silently for a moment, hoping to hear the bickering end, but it only increased. Sighing, the two walked out of the building.

“Tell me about yourself, Reeves,” the boy smiled at her.

“What do you want to know?” Sutton asked, slipping her hands into the pocket of her sweatshirt as the warm sun hit her face.

“Let’s start easy; how old are you?”

“23, you?”

“24,” he smiled. “At least I’m not the youngest.”

Sutton smiled. “Henley is five years older than I am.”

“You aren’t serious,” Jack laughed, but Sutton confirmed it with a nod. “Did you and Henley grow up together?”

“Not really,” Sutton admitted, kicking a pebble across the sidewalk. “She grew up traveling with her parents. They were magicians as well, before they were in an accident.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Don’t be. They survived. They spend their days on a sunny beach in California. The accident made them stop and think about their lives, that’s what Henley said.”

Sutton took a look at Jack who nodded to reassure her that he was paying attention. “I was born and raised in New York,” Jack said. “My dad left my mom the minute he found out she was pregnant. She raised me all on her own, up until I was about 18. Then she was diagnosed with breast cancer, so we moved in with her sister. She passed away five days after my high school graduation.”

Sutton looked over at Jack once more. She could see the hurt in his eyes and grabbed his hand, squeezing it slightly. The action made Jack stop. “Why did you do that?”

“My mom would do it for me whenever I was upset,” Sutton smiled. “Don’t take it too personally, Wilder.”

Jack smiled wide, wiping his eyes with his freehand. “Thank you, Sutton.”

“Of course. After all, I have a feeling we will be spending a lot of time together.” The pair laughed as the wind picked up, causing Sutton to shiver slightly.

“We better head back,” Jack told her, pulling her into a side hug and walking back to the bickering threesome.


	6. Chapter VI

The moment Sutton and Jack entered the apartment, they realized the arguing had ceased, but the interrogation was about to begin.

“Where the hell have you been?” Henley exclaimed, jumping up from the chair and running toward Sutton. Sutton cringed as her cousin’s perfume engulfed her nostrils in the trapped hug.

“Your mother and I were worried sick!” Merritt added, placing his hands on his hips.

Henley rolled her eyes as Jack said, “Just picturing that is making me nauseous.” He held his stomach as he groaned.

“Sorry, Dad,” Sutton laughed, escaping Henley’s hold. “Jack and I were annoyed with the three of your arguing.”

“Speaking of three, where’s Danny?” Jack questioned.

“He locked himself in Sutton room,” Henley mumbled.

Sutton’s eyes grew. “My room? Of all places?” Merritt and Henley nodded. “Why not yours?”

“Did you really need to go there?” Henley cringed.

Sutton rolled her eyes. “I guess I’ll need to kick him out.”

Henley snorted. “Yeah, right. Like you have a bad bone in your body. The best thing you can do is call someone names.”

Sutton sent her daggers as she traveled to her room. Turning the knob, she slowly pushed the wooden object, peaking through the crack slightly. Danny was set comfortably on Sutton’s messy bed in between the many pillows. His laptop was open, entrapping him in the plan, which no one but him has seen fully.

Clearing her throat, Sutton entered her room. Danny jumped slightly, noticing her presence.

“Geez, Sutton,” Danny responded, placing his hand on his chest. “Do you really want to give me a heart attack?”

“I’d love to, Atlas, but I don’t think I need the police here.” Sutton mentally patted herself on the back for that one as she closed the door.

Danny shook his head at her attempt and drew his attention back to the lit screen. Knowing she wasn’t getting anywhere with him, Sutton curled herself up on her bed beside him. Danny stiffened slightly at her closeness, but barely skipped a beat as he continued to scroll through the plan.

After a few minutes, Danny mumbled, “They want us to rob Arthur Tressler.”

“’They’ who?”

“They, them, it, whatever gave us these plans,” he stuttered, annoyed with her inability to comprehend his comment.

Sutton brushed his annoyance off. “Who’s Arthur Tressler?”

Danny pulled up a webpage with the name “Tressler Insurance” at the top. The main heading read, “Founder: Arthur Tressler” which was followed by a biography and a picture. From what was written, he sounded normal. However, Sutton’s opinion changed quickly as Danny said, “Whoever gave us the plans points out that he stole from thousands, including the victims of Hurricane Katrina.”

Sutton took her opinion of Tressler back. Anyone who stole from the helpless didn’t deserve to be memorialized. She whispered a profane word at the awful man.

Danny chuckled. “Did you expect him to be a saint?”

“Not exactly,” Sutton admitted. “Come on, Atlas. Let’s go out with the others.” Sutton rose from the bed and walked toward the door, Danny following closely behind.

“About time,” Merritt exclaimed, sitting up on the couch.

“What the hell did you do to her, Danny?” Henley yelled, getting close to the frightened man’s face.

“I-I-I did nothing,” he explained, looking at Sutton for help.

Sutton sighed, sitting down at the table. “He was telling me what he found out from the plan.” Jack and Merritt stood and made their way over to the table to hear more. “We need to rob Arthur Tressler.”

“He stole from thousands,” Danny continued. “The guy literally has no soul.”

“Oh, then you’ll have something to discuss over coffee,” Merritt joked. All laughed except Danny, who scowled at the mentalist’s joke.

“It looks like they want us to steal the money, and return it to those it belongs to,” Sutton explained. 

“Wait a second,” Merritt interrupted. “Whoever this is wants us to steal from the rich, and give to the poor? Like a Robin Hood effect?”

“In essence, yes,” Sutton agreed.

“Count me in! Maybe next we go after my thief of a brother.”

Sutton giggled as Danny added, “We’ll need to trick Tressler into agreeing to be our benefactor before the plan can go into full swing.”

“That’s easy,” Henley said, placing her hands behind her head and pushing her chair back onto its back legs. “Sutton and I will just need to dress in tight dresses and we’ll be right in.”

“I doubt that is appropriate,” Sutton and Danny said in unison. The other three stared at them as they tried to brush off the awkwardness.

“Anyway,” Henley broke the silence, “I’m sure if we go to his insurance company’s website, we will be able to find out where he will be.”

“The girl’s right,” Jack confirmed, turning Sutton’s laptop around to face the group. Sutton grimaced at him as if to ask, “How did you get that?” Jack smirked. “He’ll be at The Met Gala next month with his wife Jasmine who is part of the committee.” He rolled his eye. “I am so not buying a suit for this.”

“Well, you aren’t going, so you won’t need a suit,” Danny reassured.

“Excuse me?” Merritt blurted. “Do you expect us to believe that you’ll go in there by yourself and actually get a deal with Tressler?”

“Of course.”

The other four looked at one another and burst into laughter.

“You cannot be serious!” Henley laughed. “You need someone to keep your big head from inflating.”

“Fine,” Danny huffed. “Do you want to go?” he asked Henley.

“With you?” Jack asked.

“She’ll kill you,” Merritt confirmed. “Take Sutton.”

Sutton’s eyes grew wide. “I-I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Oh, come on, Sutton,” her cousin smiled. “When was the last time you got dressed up?”

Sutton sat and thought about it. “Prom,” she whispered.

“Prom?” Danny, Merritt, and Jack exclaimed.

“You mean to tell me a beautiful girl like you hasn’t put on a dress since prom?” Merritt asked. “What was that, two years ago?”

“Six,” Sutton mumbled.

“Six? Oh my, woman, go with the jackass and have some fun.”

Sutton looked up at Danny through her eyelashes. He was flipping a playing card between his fingers, deep in thought. She watched as his jaw clenched and unclenched, his facial features becoming more prominent with each clench, causing something deep within her to turn.

Henley huffed at her cousin’s unwillingness to agree. “Danny?”

He unclenched his jaw. “If it’s okay with Sutton.”

Sutton was about to respond when Henley squealed, “She’ll do it!”

“Kill me,” Sutton mumbled.


	7. Chapter VII

The day quickly came to a close as the sun set. Sutton sat out in the cold air on the balcony with a blanket wrapped around her. Sitting outside reminded her of home. The crisp wind snuck its way into her favorite blanket and chilling her slightly. It was a Scooby-Doo one her grandmother had given to her when she was about 13-years-old. It was accompanied by a Scooby-Doo stuffed animal, which she still slept with to this very day.

“It’s beautiful, huh?” a voice interrupted Sutton’s memory. She turned to see the older mentalist smiling at her, his blue eyes sparkling from the sun’s melting rays.

“Yeah,” she smiled back as she accepted a cup of hot chocolate from Merritt, no doubt brought out to her on Henley’s orders.

Merritt took a seat on the chair next to her, a cup of his own in hand. They sipped their hot beverages slowly as the sun sank.

“Tell me about her,” Merritt spoke.

Sutton turned toward him, reading his smile easily. “She was the best grandma in the world,” Sutton smiled. “She always knew exactly what to say, what to do. I never had to say a word when I was upset. She just held me, never forcing me to speak until I was ready.”

“She sounds lovely,” Merritt almost whispered, a smile still plastered on his face as he listened closely.

Sutton smiled at him, appreciating his interpretation of her beloved family member. “My grandma always spoke her mind, kind of like Danny,” she chuckled. “She wouldn’t lie to satisfy anyone, but she would always tell me I was the most beautiful girl in the world.”

“Which is certainly not a lie,” Merritt smiled, causing Sutton to giggle and blush.

Sutton reached out for Merritt’s hand. “Thank you for listening.” He nodded. “I really appreciate having someone who just listens and doesn’t need to interject their opinion on me.”

“Consider it a favor for being probably the only fan I have left,” he joked.

The two sat and joked a bit longer before Jack asked if they wanted to join in on watching Spider-Man, which they graciously accepted.

“Who picked the movie?” Sutton asked, curious as to who was also a fan of the web-slinging superhero.

“Danny,” Jack pointed as the illusionist emerged from the kitchen, a large bowl of popcorn in his hands.

Of course it was Danny, Sutton thought, taking a seat on Jack’s air mattress. Danny sat beside her on his own mattress.

“Popcorn?” he asked her. She nodded, setting the bowl atop her crisscrossed legs as the two men beside her grabbed handfuls.

“I figured we would discuss the next year tomorrow,” Danny said, “so a movie night was needed as to keep the four of you from becoming grumpy.”

As the other three argued with Danny, Sutton just rolled her eyes and watched as the spider bit Tobey Maguire. She stuffed a handful of popcorn into her mouth.

~~

Over the next few days, the team discussed more of the details of the plan. The next morning came quickly as Sutton stretched in her bed. She rose and completed her morning routines as normal without meeting Danny at the bathroom door.

Returning to her room, Sutton stared at her figure in the mirror, as she always had a tendency to do. Before she begun to delve too deeply into her flaws, Sutton changed into a pair of black leggings and a gray and peach top. She snapped her necklace closed, pulled her hair into a messy bun, and slid her glasses up the bridge of her nose, dreading the adventure ahead of her for the day.

“Morning,” Danny groggily spoke as Sutton jumped over his mattress which was blocking the way to the kitchen.

Sutton turned quickly as she landed, startled. “Gosh, don’t do that.”

“Sorry,” he mumbled, rolling back over to sleep some more.

“Danny, you may want to get up,” Sutton suggested. “You know how long the others take in the bathroom.” With that, he bolted for the bathroom. Sutton laughed.

~~

Once the friends had eaten and prepared for the day ahead, they sat down at the table. Three laptops were open and running with Henley’s connected to a printer. Danny and Sutton sat side by side as they navigated through the blueprints for the umpteenth time.

The other three watched in amazement at how similar the two’s motions were. Sutton’s and Danny’s eyes scanned the screens in front of them, mumbling information to one another at a tone inaudible to the other three.

“For crying out loud, you two!” Merritt burst, causing Sutton and Danny to jump and look at him. “Will you two speak in a tone heard by more than just dogs?”

“I’m sorry,” Sutton apologized as Danny slunk down in his chair, his chin resting on his left hand. “Danny and I were saying that it looks like we will need to rob a bank first in or-“

“Rob a bank?” Henley blurted. “Sutton Sawyer, do you hear yourself?” The boys giggled lightly.

“’Sutton Sawyer’?” Jack stifled a laugh.

Sutton glared at her new friend, who shot his hands up in defense. “Henley, we all agreed to this. I’m in it whether I like it or not.” She sighed heavily. “We need to rob a bank first in order for Tressler and everyone else to believe that our magic is tangible. You know, that they can really see the product of it in front of them.”

“Once they believe it, we will be able to steal the money from Tressler himself and transfer the money back to the victims of Hurricane Katrina,” Danny added.

“There better be a play-by-play for this,” Jack hoped.

Danny looked at him in confusion, mouthing the words “play-by-play” in hopes of remembering what they meant. Sutton rolled her eyes at his inability to notice a sports reference. “Yes, they gave us every little detail. All we need to do is follow exactly what is written.”

“But, do you think Tressler will really agree to help us become famous in the first place?” Merritt questioned.

“I looked into his wife Jasmine a bit more,” Henley spoke, pulling up a web page on her laptop, which had stopped printing long ago. “She is involved in a lot of fundraisers for aspiring people, like women fighting for more rights in STEM programs and young people wanting to travel. We don’t entirely fit that bill, but I am sure she has more sympathy than Tressler himself.”

“I guess it’s up to you two,” Merritt smiled at the two behind the laptops.

Danny looked at Sutton and smiled. She returned it, but regretted the choice when Danny opened his mouth.

“Don’t screw up.”


	8. Chapter VIII

The Met Gala event came quickly. Sutton sat in her cousin’s cluttered bedroom in front of the large vanity covered in makeup. She was wearing nothing but athletic shorts and a bra, as it made it wouldn’t mess up her hair to remove it. She admired her freshly painted nails which matched her heels perfectly. Sutton touched her ring as she looked into the mirror.

“This is ridiculous,” Sutton stated, shaking her head.

“Then why are you smiling?” Henley smiled as she played with Sutton’s hair.

Sutton quickly covered her plum-covered lips. “I’m not.”

Henley chuckled as she finished putting the last bobby pin into Sutton’s hair. She moved in front of her cousin and removed her hand from her lips. “It’s okay to be excited.”

Sutton sighed. “I just feel weird, you know?” Henley grimaced at her in confusion. “I don’t really know Danny well. I just know he is controlling and quite arrogant, to be honest.”

Henley smiled at her knowingly. “Don’t worry about Danny. He can actually be a gentleman when he wants to be.” Sutton nodded, and Henley sprayed her hair with hairspray, applying enough in hopes of it staying throughout the night.

Sutton took the hand Henley held out for her and stood. “You’re finished, beautiful,” Henley said, admiring her creation. “Do you want help putting on your dress?”

“No, I got it,” Sutton confirmed with a nod.

Henley smiled and left. Sutton could hear Henley say, “Your tie isn’t on right,” to Danny, who replied with a sigh.

Sutton removed her athletic shorts and bra, replacing it with the beautiful grape-colored dress Henley had bought her for her last birthday. Sutton faced the mirror, not even recognizing the person staring back at her.

However, this was not a time to panic. Sutton had committed to the plan, so there was no going back. She took in a deep breath, letting it fill her slowly before breathing out even slower.

“You can do this, Sutton,” the young woman told herself. “It’s not even a date. It’s a mission.” With that, she opened the door and walked to the living room.

Sutton’s breath hitched in her throat when she saw Danny. He stood in the living room laughing with the others. He was dressed nicely in a black suit and matching tie. His hair was combed neatly, not a hair out of place.

Henley noticed her entrance and cleared her throat, gesturing to Sutton. The boys turned their attention toward her, eyes widening in surprise.

“Damn,” Jack said, getting up from his seat and taking Sutton’s hand, spinning her around. “You clean up good, Sutters.”

“Thanks, Jackers,” Sutton blushed, using the nickname she had given him.

Merritt held his hand to his mouth, faking a gasp. “My little baby’s all grown up,” he cried, causing Sutton to chuckle.

“Danny?” Henley said, swinging her elbow at his back.

Danny stumbled forward, almost hitting Sutton. He stood upright quickly, clearing his throat. “You, um, I, um, you-“

“It’s okay, Atlas,” Sutton blushed. “Say whatever smartass comment you want. Just get it out of your system.”

“I wasn’t going to say anything like that,” Danny stuttered in an effort to defend himself. “I was just going to remind you not to screw up.”

“Daniel!” the other three magicians exclaimed.

“Okay, okay,” Danny said, throwing his hands up. “You do look very nice, Sutton.”

“I’ll take the comment, Atlas, since I know how difficult it was for you to get out,” Sutton reassured.

“You kids have fun,” Merritt smiled.

“But not too much funny, Daniel,” Henley reminded him in a threatening tone as he quickly made his exit.

“Bye, guys!” Sutton waved to the team as she followed Danny.

The two walked out of the apartment building in silence. Danny opened the door to the taxi Henley had called for them. She did not want Sutton walking to the city in heels.

“Thanks,” Sutton smiled at Danny as she carefully climbed in. Danny nodded before running around the back and getting in himself.

Danny told the driver the location, and again the two were in silence. Sutton watched the sky grow dark from the window of the yellow car, wondering just how tonight may go.

“You know, you do look beautiful tonight,” Danny whispered to Sutton, breaking her from her trance.

“Oh, um, thanks, Danny,” she blushed. “You don’t look too bad either. I’m not used to seeing your hair neatly combed.”

It was Danny’s turn to blush as he combed through his hair with his fingers. Sutton smiled at his movements.

The taxi pulled up next to the curb opposite of the Met Gala building. Danny paid the nice man and once again rushed to open Sutton’s door. She thanked him before her breath caught in her throat at his cold touch on the small of her back. Danny smiled, noticing the effect he had on the young girl.

The couple walked the stairs up the building. Once inside, they were escorted to Arthur Tressler’s table. Jack had made sure to hack into the table arrangements the day before.

“This is it,” Danny whispered to Sutton as he pulled out her chair for her.

“Don’t screw up, I know,” Sutton reassured him. She felt Danny’s breath on her neck as he chuckled.

“Hello,” Tressler’s wife Jasmine smiled as Danny took his seat. “Are you here to purchase gowns?” Jasmine asked, curious as to why these strangers were here.

“Well, actually, my friend here is just a very big fan of fashion,” Danny lied, smiling at Sutton.

“That’s lovely,” Jasmine said. “Oh, Arthur!” she called, standing up and greeting her husband with a kiss.

“That is so gross,” Sutton mumbled as Danny held a chuckle back.

“Arthur, this is…” Jasmine trailed. “I’m sorry, I did not quite catch your names.”

“Oh, that’s alright,” Danny reassured, standing up. “I’m J. Daniel Atlas and this is Sutton Reeves,” he gestured to Sutton as he shook Tressler’s hand.

“Very nice to meet you,” Tressler stated, reaching for Sutton’s hand and giving it a small kiss. Sutton blushed at the small gesture. She watched as Danny clenched and unclenched his jaw.

“Tell me,” Tressler began as he took a seat next to his wife. “What is it you do with yourselves?”

“Oh, Arthur!” Jasmine playful hit him. “It’s always money with you.” The four laughed.

“We, uh, we are actually magicians,” Danny stuttered, his nerves beginning to be seen by Sutton.

“Magicians?” Jasmine piped up. “How come I never heard of you?”

“Well, um, we aren’t nationally known,” Danny stammered.

“But Danny is much more famous than I am,” Sutton complimented. Danny smiled graciously at her, the idea of fame going to his head.

“We and a few other friends are trying to start a group of five magicians, actually,” Danny added.

“That’s fantastic!” Jasmine smiled. “Isn’t it, Arthur?” He nodded as he studied the couple closely. “Do you need help getting started?” This was easier than Sutton and Danny had anticipated.

“Actually, yeah, we do,” Danny answered. “I mean, magic isn’t all it’s cracked up to be financially.”

Jasmine smiled kindly. “Arthur, maybe we can help them.”

Arthur studied them hard for a bit, but then released his hand from his chin. “A benefactor, you say?” Sutton and Danny nodded. “As long as my name is first,” he smiled.

Sutton and Danny let out a sigh of relief. “I promise you, you will not be disappointed, sir,” Danny stated, shaking Tressler’s hand once more.

“Call me when you need anything,” Tressler stated, handing Danny a contact card.

Sutton smiled at Jasmine, thanking her silently for convincing her scheming husband to help them. The fashion show had started, and Sutton leaned back into her seat to watch the girls show off marvelous gowns.

“Glad you didn’t screw up,” Danny whispered in her ear, causing chills to run down Sutton’s spine.

“Glad you didn’t degrade me,” Sutton joked, turning her attention to the models.

~~

As the show came to a close, Danny and Sutton once again shook the cold hand of Arthur Tressler. The couple made their way out of the Met Gala, Danny’s hand never leaving the small of Sutton’s back. They chose not to hail a taxi just yet and take a walk. They started down the street after Sutton had removed her heels, which Danny took without a complaint.

“Are you feeling okay?” Sutton questioned Danny with a smirk.

“Why-Why wouldn’t I be?” Danny stuttered, searching her face for an answer.

Sutton giggled. “You didn’t make fun of me, didn’t complain about anything I did. What’s up, Atlas?”

A blush started to rise up Danny’s cheeks. “I just didn’t want to be the control freak for a change. Trust me, it will be completely different back home,” he scoffed.

“I’m sure, Atlas,” Sutton sighed, “I’m sure.”

They had reached a small park with a swing set, drawing Sutton toward it. “Push me,” she smiled at Danny as he slowly followed her.

“And here I thought we were supposed to be enemies,” Danny replied.

Sutton looked at him in confusion as he drew closer. “Enemies?”

“Yeah, you know. I’m the control freak and you’re-“

“Just as much of a control freak?” Sutton suggested. Danny looked at her as if he didn’t see it. “I like everything to have order. I like taking control of situations. Don’t think you’re the only one, Danny. I just know how to control my controlling,” she laughed.

Danny chuckled as he placed his hands on the swing’s chain, standing in front of Sutton as they looked at one another.

“You are going to push me, right?” Sutton smiled, causing Danny to laugh once again and walk behind her to push.

After a few minutes of pushing, Sutton asked, “What’s one thing people don’t know about you?”

“One thing people don’t know about me?” he thought. “Um, I secretly like when a girl takes control.”

Sutton leaned back in the swing to look at Danny’s face. “You’re lying.”

“I’m not,” Danny smiled, taking a seat next to her. “I like when a girl can take control of me in…” he trailed off, clearing his throat. “Um, never mind. That’s not very professional.”

“Come on, Atlas,” Sutton pushed, pulling on the chain of Danny’s swing to bring them closer. “You like a girl who can take control of you in… Oh!” Sutton said, letting go of the chain to allow the two to drift apart. She realized what Danny wanted to hide, and was ashamed of herself for pushing him.

“Yeah,” Danny blushed. “I’m sorry, Sutton. That wasn’t the answer you were probably hoping for.”

Sutton laughed. “Don’t worry, Danny. I’m not going to tell the others about your fantasy.”

“Fantasy? It has happened before!”

“Yeah right,” Sutton snorted. “No girl could ever control you, not even in the most vulnerable situation.”

Danny grabbed the chains of Sutton’s swing, standing up in front of her. “Okay, maybe a girl hasn’t been able to control me completely, but I have one in mind that definitely could.”

“Who?” Sutton laughed, playing along.

Danny bent his head low, moving his face close to Sutton’s. “You.”

Sutton’s face went from joking to pure shock. She wasn’t sure if the smirk on his lips was due to the enjoyment of messing with her, or if he was actually serious. In hopes of making herself sound less shocked, Sutton joked, “I don’t even think I could control you, Atlas.”

“Let’s see,” Danny whispered, without skipping a beat. He moved closer to Sutton’s face, his eyes never leaving her eyes. Danny’s hand reached for her cheek in an action to draw her face closer to his, and Sutton panicked.

“Ow!” Danny yelled, quickly drawing away from Sutton’s stinging hand. “What the hell, Sutton?” He held his thumping face.

“What the hell, Danny?” Sutton mimicked. “You were trying to kiss me!”

“I was only joking!” Danny defended. “So if I was actually going to kiss you, you’d slap me?”

“Um, yeah,” Sutton declared. “I’ve known for, what, a month? I’m not one of your one-night stands, Atlas.”

Danny looked at her hurt, and it wasn’t just from the sting of the slap. “Sutton, I wasn’t going to sleep with you! I just wanted to mess with your head.”

“Well, as you can see, my head is not something which should be messed with,” Sutton stated angrily. She headed toward the road to hail a taxi.

Danny followed her, in fear that she may leave him there. When Danny reached Sutton, she was about to open the taxi door. “I’m sorry, okay? I just got frustrated with you always having the upper hand.”

“Are you sure you aren’t sexually frustrated?” Sutton asked, raising an eyebrow.

Danny smirked at her. “Really? You’re going to ask me that when you look like this?”

Sutton blushed and Danny chuckled, glad to have shut her up for a change. Danny opened the door for Sutton, and the two rode in silence once more.


	9. Chapter IX

“How’d it go, love birds?” Merritt exclaimed as Sutton and Danny walked through the door. “Woah! What happened to you, lover boy?”

Henley ran out of her bedroom and Jack sat up right on his air mattress. “Damn!” they both exclaimed.

Danny touched his face and winced. “I, um, took a, uh, hit tonight,” Danny got out as Sutton went to get him an icepack.

“Danny tried hitting on a girl, so she slapped him,” Sutton smirked, placing the icepack on Danny’s face. He winced once more.

“Shocker there,” Henley commented.

“Anyway, did you get Tressler to agree?” Jack asked.

Danny held up Tressler’s contact card between his fingertips. The group cheered.

“I’m just surprised you two didn’t kill each other with sarcasm,” Merritt said, looking the couple over. Sutton squinted her eyes at him and he smirked knowingly.

“Well, it’s off to bed for me,” Sutton faked a yawn. “Goodnight!” she called to everyone as she made her way to her room. Once inside, Sutton leaned her back against the cold door. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply, until a knock echoed.

“Merritt, go away,” Sutton said, but she knew better. The knob jiggled and she moved to open it.

“Hey, Beautiful,” Merritt smiled, his arms extended.

“Don’t even say it,” Sutton commanded, crossing her arms and sitting on her bed.

Merritt closed the door. “He tried to kiss you?”

“I said not to say it.”

Merritt quickly sat beside her. “You slapped him? How come? I know deep down you wanted it to happen.”

Sutton huffed. “Obviously, my mentalism sucks if I can’t hide things from you.”

“So I was right? Wow, the voices don’t lie to me,” he joked, rubbing his head.

Sutton smiled. “I honestly don’t know how I feel. I mean, we are so different, exce-“

“Except for both of your inability to allow someone else to control a situation,” Merritt interrupted. “You don’t need to be completely the same to fall in love.”

Sutton scoffed. “I am not in love with Danny.”

“But you could be.”

“I don’t think so.”

Merritt smiled at her and kissed the top of her head in a reassuring action to show his support for her. He stood and left the room, not without peaking his head back in and blowing Sutton a kiss.

Sutton sat for a moment, staring at herself once more in the mirror. Was she actually falling for Danny? Could he actually like her? Sutton shook her head, laughing at her unrealistic thoughts.

Sutton carefully removed the gorgeous dress from her slim form, placing it back on the hanger in the back of her closet in the garment bag. A gray tank top and black shorts were pulled on to cover Sutton’s body. She removed her makeup with ease, as she hated the feeling on the products on her face. The bobby pins were removed slowly from her hair, careful to not tangle the curls. She was on the last one when she answered the knock at the door.

Danny slipped through the crack in the door. He looked at Sutton just in time to see her long red hair flow down her back. His heart started to beat faster as he watched Sutton run her fingers through the mess.

“What’s up, Danny?” Sutton asked, noticing his stare.

“Oh, um, I was just, uh,” he cleared his throat in hopes of being able to form a sentence. “I just wanted to say thank you.”

Sutton spun around to face him, her old desk chair creaking. “Is J. Daniel Atlas admitting that he needed my help?” She placed her hand on her chest, pretending to be in shock.

Danny rolled his eyes. “I never said that.”

“Oh, but the feeling is there, Daniel,” Sutton winked.

Danny scoffed. “Goodnight, Sutton.”

Sutton smiled. “Night, Danny.” She turned around in her chair to remove her contacts and braid her hair.

Danny stared at her closely, watching as her delicate fingers flew quickly to create the hairstyle. He couldn’t deny it; Sutton was beautiful. That explained why he was always messing with her. That explained why he felt like Cupid was squeezing his heart whenever they talked alone.

“Atlas, I can feel your sexual frustration,” Sutton joked.

“I-I wasn’t, I was just, uh...” Danny struggled to form a sarcastic response.

Sutton laughed and turned herself back around to face him. “I’m kidding, Atlas. Now, get out before I control you.” She stretched her arms out toward him, as if to be performing a spell.

Danny rolled his eyes and exited the room. “She’s insane,” Danny concluded and headed toward his air mattress.


	10. Chapter X

It had been a few weeks since Sutton and Danny had talked Tressler into becoming the team’s benefactor. Tressler and Jasmine wanted to meet with them to discuss what would be happening in the upcoming months. Nothing too fancy, as Jasmine put it, so they were welcome to wear normal clothing. Luckily, Sutton and Danny had everything under control in regards to the plan they were given. All the others had to do was sit there and only speak when spoken to.

“Explain to me again why I am wearing this?” Sutton asked Henley as she applied her mascara.

Henley huffed as she ran the dark red lipstick across her lips. “In case one of the boys screws up. Tressler just needs to look at us and he’ll remember why he hired us in the first place,” she winked. She turned to Sutton and applied her lipstick.

“But I don’t like it,” Sutton whined through half-opened lips, tugging the black bralet down. She hoped it would sprout by the time they arrived at Tressler Insurance to cover her belly button. “It’s so inappropriate.”

Henley gave a chuckle as she told Sutton to pop her lips. “I know someone who will like it, though.” She smoothed her hair down the front of her black jacket and red bralet.

“W-Who?” Sutton stuttered, pulling her olive green jacket closer to her neck.

“Jack,” Henley sang as if she knew a secret.

Sutton laughed. “Jack and I are just friends, Hen. Honestly, he is like a brother to me.”

Henley frowned in disappointment. “Then, who do you like? I mean, you smile more now and have a sparkle in your eye.”

“It’s not the effects of anyone, Hen, sorry,” Sutton said, patting her on the back. “I’m just happy to have such good friends in my life. For the longest time, it has been you and I. Now, we have these three guys who are actually pretty awesome.”

Henley raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. “Even Danny?”

Sutton froze for a second, but then scoffed. “Don’t push it.” The cousins laughed, traveling into the living room arm in arm.

“Can you girls get any hotter?” Merritt exclaimed, applauding their beauty. The girls blushed.

“Geez, Henley, you must be a miracle worker,” Jack joked as he poked Sutton’s stomach. She giggled as she swat his hands away.

Danny sat very still on the couch, swallowing hard as he looked Sutton over. Her pale skin was even whiter next to the black material clinging tightly to her skin, making her look almost porcelain. He swallowed again as she smiled at him. He returned it slightly and said, “Let’s go. We should be there at least 15 minutes early.”

~~

The group arrived at Tressler Insurance in the outskirts of New York City, the tall building looking even taller as it sat atop a grassy hill. A floral labyrinth covered the bottom of the hill on both sides of the long paved trail leading up to the building.

“It’s beautiful,” Sutton whispered to the window.

“It is,” Jack replied as he wiggled in his seat once more. He received a yell from Henley, who was then yelled at by Merritt.

“Just pull up in front of those doors,” Danny told the taxi driver. Sutton cursed him silently for taking the passenger seat.

As soon as the car stopped, Sutton and Merritt flung open the backseat doors, praising, “Oh, sweet land!” Danny scowled at them as if to say, “Be professional.”

“This way, please,” a man dressed in a suit gestured toward the large pale green doors of the white building.

The group followed as instructed, Sutton and Danny leading the way. They wanted to put up a good front for Tressler, as they were the only ones he and Jasmine knew. The man came to a halt in front of a pair of large green doors. The men outside the doors opened them wide, revealing Tressler at his desk, and Jasmine on a lounge chair, looking as beautiful as ever.

“The magicians you requested, sir,” the man announced, leaving the group to stare in awe around the room.

Danny cleared his throat to get Sutton’s attention. “Hello, Mr. Tressler, Jasmine,” Sutton announced, hugging each as Danny had instructed her the night before. “I’m so glad to finally see you again.” She returned to her place beside Danny. “Danny and I are excited for you to see all of our talents,” she gestured toward the team. Danny gave her a nod, as if to approve of her performance.

“It is a pleasure to see you both,” Tressler stated, shaking Danny’s hand. “And who may you all be?”

“Merritt McKinney,” Merritt responded, tipping his fedora as he shook Tressler’s hand.

“Jack Wilder,” Jack spoke, also shaking the cold hand of Tressler.

“Henley Reeves,” Henley smiled as Tressler kissed her hand, just as he had kissed Sutton’s.

“Sutton’s relation, I presume?”

“Yes, sir, first cousins” Henley smiled again as she accepted a hug from the older gentleman.

“So, what is it you call yourselves?” Tressler asked as he returned to the front of his desk, leaning back on it. He gestured for the team to take a seat on the furniture by Jasmine.

The team looked at one another as they sat. “Um, well, we don’t exactly have a name yet,” Jack explained as Sutton took a seat between him and Danny

“You don’t have a name?” Jasmine piped up. “Well, that is the first thing a group should decide on!”

Sutton’s eyes trailed over the coffee table between her and Jasmine. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow stared back at her, the Headless Horseman riding along the cover. Jasmine’s eyes must have seen it as well.

“Horsemen,” she smiled, making her way to Tressler’s side.

The team looked at one another. “It has a nice ring to it,” Merritt shrugged.

“I love it,” Arthur stated, wrapping an arm around Jasmine as he planted a kiss to her lips. Sutton watched as Jack hid his gagging.

“So, Horsemen,” Tressler called, “show me your talents.”


	11. Chapter XI

Sutton pulled on her Hufflepuff baseball tee and slowly began to braid her hair, pulling it into two buns atop her head. She sighed, knowing everyone would be heart broken when she and Danny broke the newest news to the team. Slipping on her glasses, she bounded for the living room.

“We kinda need to live somewhere else,” Danny mumbled after everyone had settled down.

“Wait, wait, wait. We’re moving?” Jack exclaimed.

“I built this home with my bare hands!” Merritt acted, displaying his hands to the group.

Henley rolled her eyes. “Why the hell do we need to move?”

“We’re going to be doing some illegal things and I don’t want this apartment being tied to it,” Sutton sighed, thinking about the elderly woman who owned the apartment.

“Besides,” Danny piped up, “Sutton and I found out that the apartment we all met at is leased in Merritt’s name.”

Merritt gasped. “Who in their right mind puts my name on a lease?”

“That’s exactly what I said,” Danny commented.

“Anyway,” Sutton stepped in, slipping on her Nike sneakers, “Jack and I are going to go shopping while you three start packing here.”

“But, why can’t I come with you?” Henley pouted.

“Because I need someone to make sure my room is not touched by anyone but me,” Sutton faked a smile at her. Henley stuck her tongue out.

“Jackers?” Sutton stood, holding a hand out for her best friend.

“Sutters,” Jack answered, wrapping his hand around hers as they walked out of the apartment.

“They’re so adorable,” Henley singsonged.

“They’re not dating,” Danny fired at her.

“Woah!” Merritt stated, throwing up his hands. “I’m sensing a bit of jealousy here.”

Henley raised an eyebrow. “I am not jealous!” Danny exploded.

“I beg to differ,” the mentalist and escape artist replied.

~~

“So, what are we shopping for?” Jack asked Sutton as they walked through New York City.

“Oh, you know,” Sutton started, “just some appliances, like a microwave, a stove, and a fridge.”

“Why do we need a stove?”

“Do you want your meals made with love?”

“Yes!” Jack pleaded, pulling on her arm.

“Then shut up and go into this store,” Sutton chuckled.

“Where are we getting the money to pay for this stuff anyway?” Jack questioned as they walked through the doors.

“Tressler, duh,” Sutton answered, directing Jack with a small push to his shoulder. “Danny and I asked him if he would be willing to lend us a hand in getting some things for a “bigger place.” He generously said yes.”

“You and Danny have been doing a lot together lately,” Jack commented, pulling open the doors of a rather large refrigerator.

“Just as much time as I spend with you.”

Jack looked at her, placing his hand to his chest. “Are you cheating on me?” he gasped.

Sutton laughed. “Shut up, you idiot!”

Jack chuckled. “Am I getting a real bed?” 

“No, Jack, but I’ll be sure to ask Danny if he would be willing to share his air mattress with you so you won’t feel lonely,” Sutton joked.

“You’re such a bitch,” Jack smiled, hitting her arm.

Sutton laughed. “Maybe I’ll get you and Merritt bunk beds instead.”

“Shut up!” Jack chuckled.

“Oh, I know what you want. You wanna share my bed with me.”

“Well, if you’re offering,” Jack trailed, a smirk playing on his lips before the two friends burst into laughter.

~~

Jack and Sutton returned home after placing a down payment on some new appliances. Happily, they entered the apartment arm in arm, greeted with yelling.

“Just admit that they are and Merritt and I will leave you alone!” Henley yelled at Danny, her hands on her hips.

“I’m not going to admit it because it isn’t true!” Danny shouted.

“What isn’t true?” Jack piped in.

“That Jack and Sutton are secretly dating,” Merritt laughed. His eyes widened as he realized who he was talking to. “I mean, I, uh, we weren’t, we weren’t talking about- Oh, forget it!”

“You think we’re dating?” Sutton exclaimed, pointing between her and Jack.

“Oh, please, Sutton,” Henley rolled her eyes. “You said you didn’t like him like that but I’m calling your bluff.”

Jack suddenly burst into a fit of laughter, flopping down on the couch beside Merritt to keep himself from falling to the floor. “I am so not dating her,” he responded, wiping a tear from his eyes.

“Told you,” Danny stated, rolling his eyes.

“Wow, Jack. Way to make a girl feel special,” Sutton muttered as she hit her friend to make him stop laughing.

“But that doesn’t explain why you were jealous when they left,” Merritt pointed at Danny.

Sutton eyed Danny, who stuttered, “I-I was not jealous. I am merely tired of hearing you two say they are together when they clearly are not.”

“While you children discuss my private life like you clearly live it, I’m going to make dinner,” Sutton stated as she made her way into the kitchen.

The argument ended and a new one began as the group fought over what they should eat.


	12. Chapter XII

A few weeks later, the Horseman were working silently in their newly furnished apartment. Sutton had took it upon herself to make the disgusting housing area as homey as she could, decorating it and placing air fresheners throughout the rooms.

“Why isn’t there any food?” Jack complained from the kitchen. He looked over at Danny and Sutton, the only company he had for the time being while Merritt and Henley were out shopping for new clothes.

“Probably because you ate it all,” Danny replied without looking up from his laptop screen.

“Sutton?” Jack whined, making his way to his best friend.

Sutton didn’t take her eyes off her book, as she was deeply involved in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban for the umpteenth time in her life.

“Sutton,” Danny called. Receiving no answer, he shook her foot.

Sutton swung her leg, nearly missing Jack as he sat beside her. “Who’s the jackass who touched my foot?”

Jack pointed to Danny, suppressing a laugh.

“I-I just wanted to get your attention,” Danny stuttered, throwing his hands up.

She narrowed her eyes at the illusionist. “You should know better by now.”

“Yeah, Danny,” Jack added. “I mean, if you’re gonna touch her feet, you gotta do it like this!” he yelled, quickly moving his fingers over Sutton’s bare feet. When she started to swing her legs, Jack went for her torso.

“Stop it!” Sutton squealed, her face turning red with laughter. “You jerk!”

Jack quickly stuck his hands under her grey Pokémon shirt. Sutton squealed louder at the touch of his cold hands.

Danny mumbled under his breath, annoyed with the sudden noise. The laughter of the couple was becoming quite annoying fairly quickly. “Will you two stop it?”

The two friends froze, both panting heavily. They looked at one another which only made them laugh again.

“Damn, Sutton,” Jack finally said. “You got abs!”

“I do not, Wilder!” Sutton defended as she stood, hitting her stomach lightly. “I have a belly.”

“Oh, please!” Jack yelled, flipping her shirt up. “Danny, are these not abs?”

Danny’s eyes flicked up at the sound of his name. Before Sutton had a chance to push her shirt down, Danny saw the outline of something black across the girl’s torso sticking out from under her sports bra. He swallowed, imagining it being a tattoo. Jack was right, though; Sutton’s pale stomach could be mistaken for abs.

“Aren’t they?” Jack asked again, fighting Sutton for her shirt once more.

Danny cleared his throat as he watched Sutton’s red face slowly begin to fade. “Um, no, Jack, but one could easily make that mistake.” He scratched the back of his neck in hopes of suppressing any redness on his own face.

Sutton shyly hid her smile as she turned toward her bedroom. Danny chuckled lightly to himself, thinking about what hid beneath the rest of Sutton’s clothing. He smiled as he imagined how beautiful her body just may be.

“Uh-hum,” Jack’s throat sounded, causing Danny to jump.

“God, Jack. Was that necessary?”

Jack snickered. “Dude, were you checking Sutton out?”

Danny rolled his eyes. “Seriously? No.” Jack laughed again and made his way back to the kitchen while Danny let out a sigh of relief.

~~

“Let’s go out for a change,” Henley said to the others after returning home with Merritt from their shopping trip. “I’m sure Sutton is tired of cooking for us.”

“Not really,” Sutton mumbled, receiving a death glare from her cousin.

“I say we have Chinese!” Merritt piped up.

“I’m not in the mood for that,” Danny responded as he played with his card deck.

“Sushi?” Jack tried.

Sutton faked a gag. “Do you want to kill me?”

“Do you want a burger, Sutton?” Henley asked, rolling her eyes.

Danny huffed. “Again? No.”

“Fine!” Henley gave in, picking up her black handbag. “You two are staying here.”

“What?” Danny and Sutton yelled, quickly standing from the couch.

Jack and Merritt chuckled as Henley lectured. “I’ve had it with you two! Sutton never wants to go out, and Danny never wants what the rest of us want. It’s annoying.”

“What are we supposed to do for food?” Danny asked, suddenly frantic.

“Sutton will make sure you don’t starve.” With that, the escape artist, the mentalist, and the pickpocket were gone.

“Well, this is just fan-freaking-tastic!” Danny yelled to whomever chose to listen.

“You do realize you can leave the apartment with no problem, right?” Sutton told him, settling back into the indent on the couch.

“Shut up,” Danny responded, already annoyed with her. “Why would I want to go with them after they clearly just ditched me?”

“Beats me.” Sutton kicked her legs up to lay down on the couch. She absentmindedly scrolled through her Twitter feed. “Let me know if you want food.”

Danny rolled his eyes. “I can make food, Sutton. I’ve been living on my own since I was 18. I think I’m perfectly capable of it.”

“I was just trying to be nice, Danny,” Sutton stated. “Why don’t you just sit down and relax until they come home then? You’ve been stressed out enough with reading those plans over and over again.”

“That’s because we soon need to rob the bank,” Danny reminded her as he sat in the armchair.

Sutton huffed. “I know. Please don’t remind me. It’s not like it was my dream to become a criminal.”

“Oh, and you think it was mine?”

“Well, you are one.” Danny tilted his head at her in confusion. “I mean, metaphorically speaking. You know, you steal girls’ hearts for a night then break them the next morning.”

Danny rolled his eyes at her once more. “Why do you always bring that up? Is that how you see me? A guy who craves a female’s sexual side and nothing more?”

Sutton opened her mouth but decided against allowing words to flow. Did she really judge a book by its cover? “I-I’m sorry, Danny. I guess I never really thought about it much.”

Danny’s eyes grew wide, shocked by the word “sorry” leaving anyone’s mouth to apologize to him.

Sutton continued, “I guess over the years Henley didn’t really describe you as much more than that. You know, a ‘player.’ She always told me that she was glad she never fell for your tricks.”

Danny thought for a minute, processing her words. “I guess I can’t really blame her for that,” he admitted. “I mean, I did have a lot of one-night stands in the past. I actually haven’t had one since the night I found the Lover card, if that counts.”

Sutton chuckled. “How ironic.”

“I didn’t have sex that night, though,” Danny admitted again. He smiled at his words. Admitting these things to Sutton felt good.

Before Sutton could throw a comment his way, Danny’s phone buzzed on the coffee table. “Hey, Merritt.” Sutton bit her lip to hide a smile. He never answered a phone call from any of them without the first word being ‘what.’ “Wait, why will it take you so long to get home? The whole inner city? Alright. No, we’re fine right now. Just call one of us when it comes back on.”

“What was that about?” Sutton asked after Danny hit the red button on his phone’s screen.

“Apparently inner city New York is shut down for the time being. There was an accident that caused a fuse box to go out. I guess we are far enough away from it that we weren’t affected.”

“At least I still got wi-fi,” Sutton smirked, taking out her phone to play a game.

Danny chuckled. “Hey, do you want a beer?” he asked, making his way to the kitchen.

“I don’t drink beer, Danny,” Sutton responded. “I’ll take one of the wine coolers from the fridge, though. Pina colada, please.”

Danny smiled to himself as he opened the fridge. He enjoyed learning these small facts about a girl, as he never cared much to get to know his one-night stands. “Here,” he said as he held out the cold beverage for Sutton to take.

Sutton smiled, placing her hand around the can. Just as their skin came into contact, darkness surrounded them.


	13. Chapter XIII

“What the hell just happened?”

“Obviously the power just went out.”

“Thank you, jackass. I meant when we- never mind.”

“When we what?”

“Drop it, Danny, and turn on your phone’s flashlight.”

Danny did as she said, shining the bright light in Sutton’s direction. She threw her hand up to shield her eyes. “Sorry,” he told her, setting the phone on the coffee table to allow the light to fill the room before returning to the arm chair.

“I’m texting Henley,” Sutton stated as her fingers quickly flew across the screen. She received a winky face from Henley in return. “Henley grosses me out sometimes. She just sent me a winky face when I told her the power went out.”

Danny’s phone vibrated. He looked at it and sighed, turning the phone back to its original position. “For whatever reason, she is obsessed with the idea that you need to have sex,” he proclaimed. The phone vibrated once more. “And Merritt thinks I need to.” He threw his head into his hands.

Sutton giggled lightly as she popped open the wine cooler can. “Jack is the only normal one out of those three.”

Danny’s shoulders stiffened slightly, but not enough for Sutton to notice. He thought back to earlier today when Sutton and Jack were laughing during their tickle battle. The flashback struck a chord in him now, and it was not one of annoyance like it once had been.

Danny took a swig of his alcoholic drink. “Why do you and Jack spend so much time together?” he blurted, quickly regretting it as he knew how stupid he sounded.

“He’s my best friend,” Sutton replied. “Didn’t we have this discussion once before?”

“Yeah, but why him? Like, you could have chosen any of us.”

Sutton shrugged as she took a drink. “I don’t know. Jack is my opposite in many cases.” Danny squinted at her. “Like, he is very outgoing and is filled with self-confidence. I, on the other hand, tend to keep to myself and am very self-conscious. I guess I like being around someone who isn’t like myself.”

Danny thought about what Sutton said for a minute. “So, you think we are a lot alike then?”

Sutton bit the inside of her cheek as she thought about it. Since the day they met, the similarities they shared had started to show themselves. “Exactly,” she smiled. “We really aren’t that much different, I suppose. Not like when we first met.”

Danny smiled, lifting the beer bottle to his lips. “You’re just lucky I share some of my control with you.”

Sutton rolled her eyes as she sipped the wine cooler. “Trust me, I would have got it sooner or later,” she declared, biting her lip.

Danny felt his jaw fall open. Watching Sutton’s beautifully imperfect teeth move across her bottom lip struck another chord within him, this one causing a deep sensation to flow throughout his body.

“You okay?” Sutton’s voice interrupted Danny’s thoughts. She lifted the wine cooler up to her lips again. Danny felt himself whimper. “Danny, seriously, are you okay? You’ve been staring at me for a good bit now which looks kind of creepy in this lighting.”

“I-I’m sorry,” Danny stuttered. “I was in a daze.” He cleared his throat as Sutton shrugged off his explanation. “Is the power ever coming back on?”

“I got an idea,” Sutton smirked. “Let’s play 20 questions.”

Danny scoffed. “What are you, 12?”

“Come on, Danny. There isn’t anything else to do.”

“Fine,” he huffed.

Sutton smiled. “So, Daniel, why have you been living on your own since you were 18?”

Danny sighed. “My senior year of high school, I told my parents that I didn’t want to go to college. I wanted to be a magician. Magic was the only thing I had throughout my life. It never left me when everything else seemed to.”

“That’s deep, Atlas,” Sutton mumbled into her drink.

Danny shrugged. Against his better judgement, he continued on with his story. “My parents weren’t happy about it. My dad always wanted me to go into criminal justice because it was what he wanted to do. He never did, though, because his dad wanted him to be a doctor.”

“That’s ironic.”

Danny chuckled. “Even though my mom begged me not to, I moved from that small town to the city. I haven’t regretted my decision since.”

Sutton sat in amazement. “Do you still talk to your mom?”

“Every now and then,” Danny confessed. “She probably won’t want much to do with me after we commit this heist.” Sutton chuckled. “Your turn. How did you and Henley get your start?”

Sutton drew in a breath. Even Henley didn’t know the truth behind Sutton’s decision to start performing with her. Could she trust Danny?

“I won’t tell,” Danny whispered, somehow reading her mind.

Sutton gave him a light smile, nodding. “Right before I planned on going to college, my parents announced that they were selling the family farm. They were selling it to my uncle, so we would have no say in what happened to it. It broke my heart to hear, and then they piled on even more by telling me that they were moving to Texas with my brother. He’s a longhorn breeder.” She looked over at Danny who stared back at her, fully inversed in her story. “When Henley called, she said that she left her job as your assistant and was going to start her own act. She asked if I would be interested. I had nothing left in Pennsylvania, so I left to become a ‘Reeves Girl.’”

Danny sucked in a breath. “Does Henley know that?”

Sutton shook her head. “You’re the only one I ever told. I never wanted her to worry.”

“Do you still talk to your parents?”

“I’m in the same boat as you,” she smiled sadly. “I miss my mom the most. That’s why I always wear this ring.” Sutton played with her rose gold jewelry, spinning it around her finger. “She gave it to me.”

Danny smiled as he watched her. Clearing his throat, he asked the next question. “Favorite animal and why?”

“Easy,” Sutton smiled, welcoming the question. “Penguin. Their exotic creatures, so I may never get to see one unless it is in captivity. They waddle, which is adorable. My favorite thing about them, though, is they mate for life. Did you know when a male penguin falls in love with a female penguin, he searches for the perfect pebble to give her as a way to say ‘I love you’?”

Although Danny heard every word that left her mouth, he wasn’t concerned with what she said. He watched the way her body composure changed and the excitement in her voice became wider as she talked about something so passionately. “That’s really interesting,” Danny told Sutton.

Sutton bit her lip as he stared at her. “Your turn.”

“I really like foxes,” he admitted. “They’re sly. They’re so quiet that their prey has a hard time hearing them. In TV shows and movies, they’re often portrayed as the “bad guy” because they’re cunning. I don’t know, I guess I can just relate to them.”

Sutton smiled as he finished. “I love that, Danny.” Danny blushed as Sutton cleared her throat. “What’s your favorite holiday?”

“Oh, I love Thanksgiving!” Danny admitted with a smile on his face. “It was the one day out of the year when my mom and dad actually came together to cook and bake.” His smile slowly faded. “It was like my life was actually normal for a change instead of constantly changing.”

“I know what you mean,” Sutton reassured him. “That was my mom and dad on Christmas. My mom actually made this French toast bake every morning. I would help her with it the night before.” Sutton sighed and gave Danny a small smile. “Would you believe that I never had a real tree for Christmas?”

“You only ever had an artificial tree?” Danny gasped.

Sutton chuckled. “My dad thought a new tree every year was a waste of money.”

“My dad thought that until my mom talked him into getting a real tree when I was seven. He never went back to the artificial ones,” Danny told her. Clearing his throat, Danny continued, “Okay, let’s get serious. How many men have you slept with?”

“1,” Sutton blurted.

“That’s such a lie,” Danny smiled, kicking his feet up on the coffee table.

Sutton shook her head. “Nope. He was my boyfriend of 2 years, then a few months later cheated on me with my best friend.” Danny gave her a sympathetic look to which Sutton said, “Don’t apologize for his actions. I got over it. Your turn. How many women?”

Danny started counting on his fingers, his lips moving with no audible tone coming out of them. After ten, he restarted his count. “12,” he admitted, picking up his beer and taking a swig.

Sutton’s eyes grew. “12? Wow, I pity the girl who happens to be number 13.” Danny chuckled.

It was Sutton’s turn to ask the next question. She sat and thought about it while she sipped her wine cooler. An idea sparked her. “Have you ever felt more for a woman that a one-night stand just wouldn’t be enough?”

Danny thought about it for a long moment. Sutton watched as his jaw clenched and unclenched. She let out a long breath that she hadn’t realized she had been holding. “You don’t need to tell me if you don’t want to.”

“No, it’s okay,” Danny reassured her. “I’ll be honest, no, I haven’t.” He looked over at Sutton, his blue eyes meeting her green ones in the phone’s light. “I haven’t met a woman who really made me want to be with her for more than one night. I mean, women always want me to stay longer, you know? But I never wanted to because I never felt anything more than lust.” He swallowed hard. “I’ve never been in love.”

Sutton gave him a light smile as she patted his knee. “Don’t worry. After what I went through, I’m not even convinced that love exists anymore.”

“What?” Danny shrieked, surprised by her words.

Sutton leaned back into the couch and shrugged. “How can I? The person I loved took something that I can never get back, then turned right around and cheated on me. Danny, that’s something that you can’t easily come back from.”

“B-But you always sing songs about love.”

Sutton laughed. “It’s just words, Danny. I love to sing. Just because I may not believe in it doesn’t mean I can’t sing about it, right?”

Danny sighed. “Then, what do you think love is?”

“An illusion,” Sutton answered quickly. “It’s an illusion, just like your magic acts. You know how some people say they were “blinded by love”? Well, it’s like that. Love tricks two people into thinking they love one another but really they don’t. They’re in love with the idea of love and being in love.”

“So, love doesn’t exist? It’s just meant to trap two lovers?”

Sutton sipped her wine cooler. “Exactly, Daniel.” Just as she answered him, the door to the apartment rustled open.


	14. Chapter XIV

“Hey, guys!” Henley announced as she walked through the door, holding a McDonald’s bag. Danny and Sutton jumped up from their seats at the sound of her voice. “We got McDonald’s since Jack wouldn’t shut up.”

“I said it wasn’t a life-or-death situation,” Jack explained as he set three bags on the kitchen table. “Power still not back on?”

“Um, no,” Danny stated, grabbing his phone off the coffee table. “Did you get us something?”

“You’re in luck, love birds,” Merritt said as the couple left in darkness rolled their eyes. “Before you eat, though, did anything exciting happen?”

“You’re sick,” Sutton scowled, turning toward her bedroom.

“Whatever fantasy you three have about us, it won’t be playing out any time soon,” Danny told them as he ate a French fry, following Sutton.

“I have no part in this fantasy!” Jack yelled, grabbing his Big Mac from Merritt.

“Does ‘soon’ imply it will happen in the near future?” Merritt added.

Danny met Sutton in the hallway between her and Henley’s room. “About earlier…”

“Our secrets are safe with one another?” Sutton questioned hopefully. Danny nodded in agreement, the two smiling at one another. Sutton patted Danny’s chest as if to lock their secrets away in their hearts. Just then, the lights flicked back on.

“About damn time!” Merritt yelled.

~~

“We need to fly to Paris,” Danny and Sutton announced a few weeks after their situation in the darkness.

“Say what?” Merritt asked in a mocking tone.

“Why would we need to go to Paris?” Jack questioned as he emerged from the kitchen, a leftover monte cristo panini in hand.

“Jack, use a plate,” Sutton commanded, and he turned back to retrieve one. She sighed before saying, “It’s time to rob a bank.”

“In Paris?” Henley exclaimed, a smile growing. “This is, like, a dream come true!”

Sutton giggled as Danny continued. “We aren’t going just for fun. We have a plan to stick to.”

“Yeah, yeah, Atlas,” Merritt waved off. “Let the girl have her fun.”

Danny rolled his eyes. “Will you all pay attention?” Sutton eyed him up. “Please?” he managed through gritted teeth.

“Well, since you asked so nicely,” Jack rolled his eyes, sitting down on the armchair.

“After looking over the plan completely for the past few days,” Sutton explained, “Danny and I think this certain bank is somehow involved with Tressler, but we can’t be sure. There’s no explanation for anything.”

“We’re being tested,” Danny thought aloud, “to see if we can come together and follow a blind lead.”

“Like a shot in the dark?” Henley asked. Sutton nodded.

“What bank is it?” Jack wondered.

“Um, Crédit Républicain de Paris.”

Merritt laughed out loud. The others stared at him in confusion. “Do you know how heavily secured that place is?”

Sutton rolled her eyes. “Yes, Father,” she joked, “but we have explicit instructions for how to rob it. We just need to follow it step-by-step.”

“Sutton and I are going to call Tressler about sending us there, since he does have the money,” Danny informed the other Horsemen.

“How are we going to get the money from the bank, though?” Henley questioned. “This is kind of worrying me.”

“Oh, you and Danny are going to hide under the money in the armed truck,” Sutton piped up. Jack and Merritt erupted in laughter.

“I am not going into a small, tight space with someone who called me fat!”

“And I am not going under there with her,” Danny interjected. “She’ll end up stabbing me with the sleep injection!”

“Oh, I’ll do a lot more than that,” Henley stated, a fake smile plastered on her face.

Merritt shuddered, making a comment about Henley being the Joker from Batman. “Sutton, maybe it would be a better idea if you go with Danny.” Sutton glared at him. “You know, so we don’t need to bury his body.” He smiled with a hidden meaning meant for Sutton.

“W-What about Jack?” Sutton stuttered, gesturing toward her best friend who was rubbing his full stomach.

“You’re kidding, right?” Jack burped. “I am not going into close quarters with another guy.”

“What abou-“

“Not happening, weirdo,” Merritt threw his hands in the air.

Sutton huffed, sitting and the arm of Jack’s chair. “I’ll do it,” she mumbled.

“Oh, and one more thing,” Danny said. “We need to trick someone who has an account at Crédit Républicain into coming to our first show.”

“And our first show is where?” Henley asked.

“Viva Las Vegas!” Sutton sang, flashing the programs she had created. Each team member grabbed for one. “Tressler already booked the MGM Grand for March 29.”

“How ironic,” Jack chuckled.

~~

Sutton’s leg jittered up and down as she sat in the seat across from Jack. The hood of her sweatshirt was up and she bit her thumb, trying to keep her nerves under control as she stared out the window, watching Danny and Tressler talk.

Jack looked up from his Sports Illustrated magazine, raising an eyebrow at her. “You okay, Sutters?”

“Hmm?” she asked, watching Danny shake Tressler’s hand.

“Sutton, look at me,” Jack insisted. When she didn’t he leaned over, moving her head his way. “What’s wrong?”

Sutton shifted in her seat. “I’m just nervous, you know? Going to Paris to rob a bank wasn’t exactly how I pictured myself back in March.” Jack raised an eyebrow. Sutton sighed. “And I never flew on a plane.”

Jack chuckled. “Don’t worry, it’ll be fine. Tressler said his planes fly so much smoother than any other.”

Sutton scoffed. “So you’re taking the word of a thief?”

“I’m just saying that there is nothing to worry about,” Jack reassured, patting her knee.

Danny emerged on the plane, seeing Jack and Sutton near the front, and Henley and Merritt in the back, laughing hysterically. “I guess I’ll take the seat over here,” he whispered to no one in particular. Sitting, he removed his laptop from his bag, sticking his earbuds in to block out any noise.

Danny stared at Sutton and Jack as they held hands, Jack even stroking her hair in a calming motion as the plane took off. He had felt a gurgle in his stomach, and it wasn’t a rumbling for hunger. He was envious of their close relationship. The way that they could act like a couple without being a couple made him sick.

“Hey,” Sutton interrupted Danny’s thoughts, causing him to jump, his laptop almost falling off his lap. Sutton caught it, placing it very close to his groin.

“H-Hey,” Danny croaked, removing his feet from the seat across from him for Sutton to walk past and take the seat between him and the window.

She did so, pulling her legs underneath her. “Jack fell asleep,” she told him as she played with her ring. Jack snored loudly. “And those two won’t stop laughing,” she scoffed, throwing her index finger in their direction.

Danny chuckled. “So, I’m a last resort for your entertainment?”

“Looks like it,” Sutton giggled.

The two sat for a few moments, neither saying a word as they stared out the window.

“Do you think we can really do it?” Sutton asked Danny shifting in her seat to face him.

“Steal the money? Of course,” he scoffed. “I am J. Daniel Atlas, after all.”

Sutton laughed at Danny’s overconfidence in himself. “I wish I had your confidence.”

Danny raised an eyebrow. Remembering their game from the other week, he asked, “Why don’t you?” Sutton looked at him and furrowed her brows. “Why aren’t you confident in yourself all the time? I’ve seen you perform once on a livestream. It’s like you’re on top of the world on stage, but off it you become so self-conscious.”

“I don’t know,” Sutton admitted. “To be honest, I sort of just fake it on stage. I keep up the appearance so I don’t look bad next to Henley. She’s the favorite, you know? All the guys love her the most.”

“Not all of them,” Danny whispered, giving her a small smile. Sutton returned it.

It was in that moment, in the silence of their locked eyes and smiles, that Danny and Sutton felt something. It was the same feeling Sutton felt when she touched Danny’s hand and the power went out. It was the same feeling Danny felt when he told Sutton all those secrets. They were falling for one another, whether it was part of the plan or not.


	15. Chapter XV

Tressler’s plane landed in Paris not too long after Sutton fell asleep. She awoke to Danny shaking her lightly, a smile plastered on his face. She returned it, thanking him for waking her before the others saw her. The team caught a cab to the hotel Tressler arranged for them to stay at. Once the team arrived, they all showered and went right to bed.

That night, Sutton tossed and turned uncontrollably in her bed. She had taken her laptop out two hours ago in hopes sleep taking over her. Half an hour ago, her eye lids were heavy so the laptop closed. As soon as Sutton got comfy, she was wide awake again.

“I cannot do this!” Sutton whispered into the night.

Instead of struggling, she lifted herself from the mattress and wrapped her large blanket around her. She traveled out into the living area where Merritt was snoring loudly, deep in sleep. He would never hear her.

“Hey,” a voice whispered behind her, causing her to jump and slip on her blanket. Before she could hit the ground, two hands pushed her into a standing position. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“It’s okay, Danny,” Sutton breathed. “I thought we had this discussion when we first met. I scare easily.”

Danny smirked. “I know.” Sutton smirked back as Danny cleared his throat. “Can’t sleep either?”

Sutton huffed. “No. I thought maybe watching Paris at night might help me a little.”

The two strode over to the large window which showed off the Paris night. The outline of the Eifel Tower was evident from the lights strung on it. They sat on the linoleum floor, a large gap between them. It was a few minutes before either of them said a word, neither wanting to break the silence.

“I guess the six hour time difference really does make a difference, huh?” Danny finally fessed up.

Sutton nodded in agreeance as Danny ran his hands up and down his arms. “You cold?” Sutton asked.

“No, I’m fine,” Danny lied.

Sutton giggled. “Come here,” she said, holding the blanket open for him to join her.

Danny hesitated for a moment, not sure how eager he should look to climb into her blanket. Soon, he found himself wrapped in warmth, shoulder-to-shoulder with Sutton.

“It’s so beautiful,” Sutton admired as she stared out into the night.

“It sure is,” Danny whispered as he stared at her face in the moonlight.

~~

The next morning, Sutton found herself awake in her bed. Voices echoed outside her door. She asked the empty room, “How did I get here?”

Sutton quickly got out of her bed and walked into the living room, her eyes locking on the spot where she knew she was last night. Wasn’t she there?

“Good morning, sleeping beauty!” Jack yelled to her from the dining room table. He scooped a spoonful of Lucky Charms into his mouth. Sutton waved, still confused.

“Morning,” a groggy voice said behind her. This time, she didn’t jump.

“I thought that I-“

“I carried you to your room last night,” Danny said, flashing a side smile. “Well, it was more like four this morning.”

“So, we did fall asleep out here?” Sutton asked, searching for some sort of clarification.

“We did, yeah,” Danny replied, a smile playing on his lips as he thought about it. “I didn’t think it would be good for their fantasy to see us asleep together.”

“Hey, love birds!” Merritt yelled, receiving an eye roll which only encouraged him each time the action was performed. “Come over here and eat so we can get this show on the road!”

“Thank you,” Sutton mouthed to Danny as she skipped over to the table.

~~

“Merritt, you’re up,” Sutton stated into her headset.

“Thanks, Baby Girl,” the mentalist gushed. Sutton rolled her eyes.

“You’re disgusting,” Danny, Jack, and Henley reminded him.

“It’s a compliment!” Merritt defended. “Viva Las Vegas,” he murmured to their victim Etienne Forcier.

“He’s starting down the stairs, Danny,” Jack told the illusionist, who tossed a coin in front of Etienne.

“Hen, I need exact measurements,” Sutton reminded her cousin.

“Oui!” the escape artist responded, rounding the corner of the stair case. “Oh, pardon, Monsieur!” she told Etienne. “I got his measurements,” and she rattled them off into the earpiece as Sutton scribbled them on the back of her hand.

“I’ll send them straight to Tressler so he can get the helmet made,” Jack told Sutton as the others quickly made their way to them at the top of the staircase.

~~

As the boys argued about superheroes, Sutton and Henley stood in the dining room area, mentally preparing for the next part of their adventure for the day. Sutton pulled her jacket tightly around her neck and breathed in deeply. Sensing her anxiety was beginning to rise, Henley grabbed her cousin’s hand, squeezing it lightly. The pair smiled at each other.

“I love you,” Henley whispered, kissing the top of the younger girl’s head.

“This is so beautiful,” Merritt cried, pretending to brush a tear from his left eye.

“Shut up and grab the flash paper, creep,” Sutton laughed.

The team bonded into the SUV Tressler had ordered for them. As Merritt drove, Danny reminded him, Jack, and Henley of their roles. Jack and Henley were to bring the flash paper money in the SUV while Merritt pulled the armored truck over and hypnotized the driver.

“Good luck, kiddos,” Merritt called as he kicked Sutton and Danny out of the SUV once they arrived at the mint. The couple tumbled out as the truck they were targeting pulled in. The team drove off, heading for the spot where Merritt would be waiting to pull the truck over.

Again, Sutton took a sharp intake of breath as she pulled her hood over her head. She looked up to the darkening sky, hoping for a sign to tell her this would be a success.

“We can do this,” Danny reminded her, cracking a smile. Sensing her hesitation, he gripped Sutton’s hand in his.

Sutton jumped at the sensation that made its way throughout her body. She looked down at their hands then back up to Danny. “Did you-“

“Yeah,” Danny breathlessly spoke, “I did.”

Sutton cleared her throat. “Danny, we better get in that truck before anyone gets back.” He nodded in agreement.

The two raced to the armored truck which had been carelessly left open with no one in sight. The couple smiled at one another, giving a small praise for this luck. Climbing inside, Danny lifted the metal pallet the money would be placed on for shipment.

“Ladies first,” he gestured with his hand.

Sutton shivered, knowing she would be stuck in there for some time. Even though she wasn’t claustrophobic, she wasn’t thrilled with the idea of being trapped. Reluctantly, Sutton climbed in the small area as Danny shut her side of the pallet. She sighed in relief when she realized there were openings on the sides. Not long after, Danny was lying next to her under the metal.

“Scared?” Danny asked her.

Sutton shook her head, forgetting Danny couldn’t see her actions. “Not really. I’m more nervous for when I need to stab the guy.”

Danny chuckled. “You’ll be fine.”

Just then, voices arose in the distance. Sutton’s heart began to race. The armored truck gave a creak as weight was put onto the end, the voices of several men audible. Sutton gave a small gasp as the first block of money was placed over her face. Danny quickly grabbed for her hand again, stroking the back of it with his thumb. Sutton’s heartrate immediately dropped back to normal, Danny’s motions soothing her.

~~

It had been about 15 minutes before the truck stopped. Sutton heard the security guard stand and begin to walk past her. Quickly, she injected him with the sleeping drug. As the thud of the guard sounded, Danny and Sutton threw open the pallet. Just then, Merritt, Jack, and Henley opened the truck’s doors.

“Hello, my babies!” Henley cooed using her French accent.

“Please never do that again,” Sutton said, throwing her a stack of money.

Quickly, the Horsemen replaced the real money with the flash paper money. Before slamming the doors of the armored truck shut, Sutton slipped the program for the Horsemen’s show and the playing card with Etienne’s signature between the stacks. While Merritt went to the driver of the truck, the others piled into the SUV. Sutton watched in the rearview mirror as Merritt released the driver from his trance and started his motorcycle to follow them.

“What was it like being trapped under the money?” Jack asked.

Danny and Sutton shared a quick glance, lingering no longer than half a second. “It wasn’t scary,” Sutton told him. She felt her lips rolling into a smile. To hide it, she pulled her legs up to her chest. “It was very adventurous.”


	16. Chapter XVI

The next day, the team had decided to collectively take a break from their adventures as crime conductors. They awoke early the next morning to check out the tourist attractions in Paris despite Merritt’s pleas to sleep in an extra hour. They had traveled up the steps to the top of the Eifel Tower, admiring the views of Paris from each of its angles. After taking the elevator back down to the ground, the team divided. Danny and Sutton were exhausted from the walk, as they had very little to sleep from the amount of adrenaline running through their veins from the night before.

As they walked to the hotel, Sutton’s mind started to wander. She thought about all the moments Danny and her have shared since their meeting. As she thought about the night Tressler became their benefactor, she smiled.

“What are you smiling at?” Danny asked, knocking into her shoulder lightly.

“I’m just thinking about the night you tried to kiss me,” Sutton admitted.

“W-Why?” Danny blushed, rubbing the back of his neck.

Sutton gave a small giggle. “I don’t know. Maybe I was just hoping you would try again.”

“Y-You were?” Danny stuttered.

Sutton nodded sheepishly. “I was just wondering what all the fuss is about. You know, why all those girls fall at your feet to sleep with you.”

“Maybe it’s because I’m irresistible,” Danny smirked, cockily strutting through the Paris streets.

Sutton rolled her eyes. “I knew I shouldn’t have told you.”

Danny opened the door to their hotel, holding it open for Sutton. “No, no. I think it is very healthy for your little secret to be out in the open.”

Sutton scoffed. “I highly doubt you mean that, Danny. You just enjoy knowing something that could help you get under my skin.”

“I never said I wouldn’t do it,” Danny winked as he slid the room card through the key reader.

“Oh, please,” Sutton mumbled, heading for her room. “You wouldn’t do it because you know the others would get a rise out of it.”

Danny sighed heavily as he kicked off his shoes. He watched as Sutton turned on her heel and the sound of her door closing erupted through the hotel room. Kissing Sutton was not on his “to do list,” but he certainly wouldn’t hate it. Did she mean what she said, that she really did just want to see what all the other girls enjoyed about kissing him? If he kissed her, would he be able to stop?

Behind her closed door, the same thoughts racked Sutton’s brain. She sat at the foot of her bed cross-legged, replaying their conversation in her mind. Had she just given J. Daniel Atlas the perfect opportunity to test her limits? Would he use her words to his advantage? After all, neither of them were drunk. They were each in complete control of their actions.

Despite each of their conflicted thoughts, Danny knocked on Sutton’s door. She granted him access. As he cracked the door open, Danny couldn’t believe the sight before him. Sutton had removed her tan jacket and was left in an olive green lacey bralette. Her long red hair flowed beautifully down her sides and back like ocean waves. Danny swallowed hard, his jaw opening and closing in an attempt to formulate a sentence.

“You okay?” Sutton asked him, biting her lip in an attempt to hide her smile.

Danny swallowed hard. He was at a great loss for words. Something inside him told Danny he didn’t need to use words to express how he was feeling in that moment, though. So, he didn’t.

“Danny, what are you do-“

But, Sutton had no time to finish. Danny had already gripped her face in his rough, card-flipping hands, his lips crashing onto her own. It took Sutton a bit to realize what was happening, her eyes wide in shock. Just when Danny thought his actions were wrong, Sutton had begun to kiss back, moving her lips slightly against his own as her hands snaked around her neck. The two pulled away after a minute, staring wide-eyed at one another.

“Well?” Danny cocked an eyebrow at a breathless Sutton, sitting down on the bed beside her.

Sutton reached her hand up to touch her lips. “I, um, think you’re not too bad of a kisser,” she breathed, biting her lip.

“Don’t do that to me,” Danny mumbled. Sutton looked at him in confusion. “When you, uh, bite your lip, it kind of drives me insane.” He rubbed the back of his neck as he felt a blush begin to creep up.

Sutton chuckled lightly. “Well, when you do that, it kind of drives me insane. It shows your innocent side. It’s quite attractive.”

Danny looked at her, the spark in Sutton’s eyes matching the one in his own. It was no longer a secret; they wanted each other, and neither would be satisfied until they were wrapped in the satin sheets. In a moment of heightened euphoria, the two lunged at one another, their lips continuing a dance which had only just begun.

As tongues battled for dominance, teeth clashed. Danny’s large hands roamed Sutton’s curvy form as her hands combed through his hair. In one quick movement, Danny had pulled Sutton onto his lap, bringing the couple’s bodies closer together. Sutton pulled at the hairs near the nape of Danny’s neck in a motion to force his lips to reconnect with hers. A low groan released itself from Danny’s throat. A sly smile spread across Sutton’s face.

“You think you’re winning, don’t you?” Danny asked between kisses.

“Of course,” Sutton told him, taking his bottom lip between her teeth and biting lightly. A groan erupted once more from Danny as his lip slowly released from her teeth.

“Like I said,” Sutton said, pushing on Danny’s shoulders to make him lie back on the bed. “I’m winning.”

With a smile spread across his face, Danny pulled at the girl’s hips to force her against his chest. Sutton ground her hips to Danny’s as they kissed, a moan releasing from her own lips this time.

Danny smiled, taking a hold of Sutton’s hips and forcing her back against the soft duvet. He stood, admiring how Sutton’s red hair splayed across the duvet in soft waves. Danny breathed in heavily, wanting to do everything that his mind has thought about doing to her since their night at the Met Gala.

“What are you thinking about?” Sutton asked him, scrunching her eyebrows together. She grabbed a strand of her hair and spun it around a finger.

“Everything,” Danny admitted with a smirk before removing his black T-Shirt with more confidence than he ever had.

Sutton looked at him, now realizing that Danny didn’t have a “Ryan Gosling body.” Even so, she found herself smiling, finding his not-so-toned body more attractive than a toned one. She sat up, placing a hand to his chest, just to feel his heart beat, just to make sure that he was real.

Danny ran his hands up and down Sutton’s sides, causing her to shiver. Sutton snaked her hands around Danny’s neck, bringing their foreheads together. The two stared at one another in disbelief. Neither could deny their attraction for one another, but neither could believe they were here in this position.

“Hey, you guys home?” Henley’s voice erupted throughout the large hotel complex.

“Shit,” Danny and Sutton whispered in each other’s’ face. Quickly, Danny grabbed his shirt and Sutton threw on a hoodie she found lying on the ground.

They breathed in heavily as they stared at one another. Danny gave Sutton a quick side smirk before flinging open Sutton’s hotel room door and sliding out.

“Hey, back already?” Sutton heard Danny call to the others.

Sutton slowly sat down on her bed, touching her fingers to her lips once more. She felt herself smiling, a warm, fuzzy feeling building in her stomach. Suddenly, Sutton had a realization; if the others hadn’t returned to the hotel when they did, would she and Danny have had sex? Would she have regretted it?

“Sutters,” Jack’s voice accompanied with a knock sounded. The door opened slowly. “Hey, you okay? You look kind of pale. Well, you know, paler than usual.”

Sutton gave him a small smile. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

~~

The Horsemen were on their way to return to their New York apartment. On the plane ride home, the team slept except Danny and Sutton who sat across the aisle from one another near the front of the plane. They faced one another, not a single word spoken for the past three hours. As soon as Sutton’s mouth would open, she thought better of her words and closed it. As soon as Danny’s mouth would open, he quickly diverted his words and said something inaudible to Sutton’s ears.

“Sutton,” Danny finally spoke, causing Sutton to jump in her seat.

“Y-Yeah?” Sutton stuttered, regretting responding at all.

Danny flashed his eyes back to the others who were still sleeping soundly. He made his way across the aisle, lifting Sutton’s feet off the seat and sitting beside her. “We should really talk.”

“Y-Yeah,” she said again, clearing her throat and sitting up in her seat.

“I’m not sure how to start this,” Danny began, his blue eyes flickering from Sutton’s face to the floor.

“Danny,” Sutton breathed, placing a hand on Danny’s shoulder. Danny’s eyes fixated on the physical touch. Sutton realized her action may be conflicting in this situation, slowly removing her touch which left a warm sensation on Danny.

“Let’s not complicate things,” Sutton continued with a nervous smile. “Um, I think we were both kind of…”

“Frustrated?” Danny thought aloud, cracking a smile.

“That’s one way of putting it,” she answered.

The two sat in silence for a moment, gathering their thoughts. Neither one wanted to call their encounter a mistake, in fear of ruining a future that may pan out one day. However, neither wanted to admit their true feelings now.

“You know, studies have proven that romantic places can heighten a person’s sexual activity,” Danny rambled. “So, basically being in Paris-“

“Turns a person on?” Sutton smirked, raising an eyebrow.

“Y-Yeah.”

Sutton let out a long and painful sigh. “Danny, I’m not sure whether or not that was the case last night, but I think it would be for the best if we just blamed it on the romanticism of Paris.”

“I agree,” Danny quickly added. Sutton cocked an eyebrow at his quick answer. “I mean, it’s the best for the team, right?”

Sutton gave him a side smile before turning to look out the window. “Yeah, for the team,” she whispered as Danny stood and returned to his seat.


	17. Chapter XVII

“It’s Christmas!” Sutton repeatedly screamed as ran throughout the house. She slammed her fists on Henley’s door. “It’s Christmas, lazy losers!” Sutton jumped onto the couch Merritt was soundlessly sleeping on.

“I don’t remember falling asleep on a ship,” Merritt groaned, holding onto the back of the couch for support.

“Man overboard!” Sutton shouted, shoving the mentalist off the couch. The two grinned at one another, breaking into a fit of laughter.

“Will you two shut up?” Jack whined, throwing a pillow over his head.

Sutton and Merritt looked at one another and nodded. “Man overboard!” they yelled as Jack’s body hit the carpeted flooring. The two broke into another fit of laughter.

“Laugh all you want; this floor is comfy,” Jack smirked, throwing a pillow under his head and cuddling back into his blanket.

“Where’s my Christmas breakfast?” Henley questioned with a yawn from the kitchen. “Sutton, I thought you were going to make me that yummy French toast bake.”

Sutton giggled. “Throw it in the oven at 350 degrees for an hour, Hen.”

Henley pouted but did as she was told. “Where’s Danny anyway?”

Jack lifted his head. “He said something about a tree. I don’t know. It was like five in the morning when he left.”

Just then, a loud noise sounded outside the apartment. A grunt followed by a few curse words followed. Henley shuffled over toward the door, opening it slowly.

“Oh, thank God!” Danny huffed, tugging a thin six-foot tree behind him.

“Danny,” Sutton gasped as Danny dragged the tree over to a corner in the living room, trying hard to hide her smile, “what is this?”

“I just told you!” Jack yelled as he sat up. Merritt threw a pillow at him, scolding him for ruining a moment.

“I thought the apartment could use a bit of Christmas charm,” Danny side smiled, gesturing toward Sutton to help him with the lights. Henley quickly restacked the presents underneath the needle-covered life.

“I’m so ready for this,” Sutton bounced on her toes. Smiles tugged at everyone lips as Danny plugged in the tree’s lights, lighting the room. The team gasped, admiring the beautiful decoration.

“It’s beautiful, Danny,” Henley told him, lightly running her hand down the needles on a branch.

“Yeah, man,” Jack added, “I wasn’t expecting this when you said you were getting a tree. I was thinking more along the lines of a two-foot artificial one.”

Everyone laughed as they patted a chuckling Danny on the back on their way to change for the Christmas day ahead of them.

“Danny?” Sutton said lightly, tugging on his shirt sleeve to get his attention.

“Yeah?” Danny replied, giving her a small smile.

“Thank you,” Sutton blushed.

“You’re welcome,” Danny told her, running a warm hand down her bare arm before turning for his dresser of clothing.

Sutton stood for a minute, admiring Danny’s efforts of making this holiday feel complete for the first time in six years. She bit back her smile as she made her way to her room.

In her room, Sutton shed her Christmas pajamas for her Christmas outfit. She tugged on a pair of green skinny jeans and a grey penguin sweater. She twisted two sections of hair behind her head before slipping on her black heels. With a last look in the mirror, Sutton threw on her Christmas hat.

“Sutton, the oven is making a beeping sound!” Jack yelled from the living room.

Chuckling, Sutton made her way to the kitchen. As Sutton pulled the French toast bake from the oven, she heard heels clicking against the kitchen floor.

“What are you wearing?” Henley scolded Sutton, her hands resting firmly on her hips.

Sutton sat the casserole dish on the stove top. “Me? Have you see yourself?”

Henley was sporting a short Santa outfit with five-inch heels. The girls had worn them for a Christmas show they performed last year in Oklahoma City.

“There was no point of letting this outfit rot away,” Henley told her, a smile playing at her lips. “You should wear yours. It wouldn’t hurt for you to wear a dress again. You haven’t worn one since you and Danny went out.”

“We did not go out,” Sutton stated firmly, a blush threatening to expose her feelings for the illusionist.

“Sorry, since you and Danny did that work thing,” Henley corrected mockingly. “I’m just saying that it wouldn’t hurt to show some leg in something other than athletic shorts for the boys.”

Sutton rolled her eyes. “I prefer to be treated like a person rather than a sex object.”

“Woah!” Merritt hollered on his way to the dining room table. “Did I just hear ‘sex object’? No one told me it was going to be that kind of Christmas.”

“You’re so gross, man,” Jack said, struggling to hide a chuckle.

“I was just telling Sutton that it wouldn’t kill her to wear a dress or skirt,” Henley informed them. “She hasn’t worn one since her and Danny went out.”

“We did not go out,” Danny reminded Henley, taking a seat at the dining room table.

“Yeah, whatever!” Henley yelled at him. She huffed before continuing, “Let’s eat so I can open my presents, okay?” 

~~

“Nobody open their presents yet!” Merritt exclaimed after ll the presents were passed out, extending his arms in a gesture to make everyone freeze. He cleared his throat, sitting up straight. “Sutton and Henley, I would like you to open yours’ from me first.”

“Oh, no,” Jack and Danny grumbled. The girls ignored them, smiling widely and ripping off the colored paper quickly.

“A brown box?” Sutton questioned.

Merritt raised his eyebrows and nodded quickly with a large grin. “Open them!”

The girls looked at one another and opened their boxes slowly. They peeled the tissue paper away to reveal identical lacy black bra and panty sets. Sutton hid her face in her hands out of embarrassment as Henley held hers up with confidence. “These will look great on us, Sutton, and it comes with a silk robe!”

“Yeah, fantastic,” Sutton mumbled behind her hands.

“Merritt,” Danny started, “I just want to know how you knew their sizes.”

The laughing among the group stopped and everyone looked at Merritt. “You’re sick!” they all yelled.

With laughs and smiles all around, the new family began opening their presents. Merritt received a jacket from Danny, a fedora from Jack, cologne from Henley, and a recipe book from Sutton.

“It’s everything I ever made you, and then some,” Sutton told Merritt. “There’s plenty of room to add more.”

Merritt gestured for her to come over to him so he could give her a hug. “I love it more than anything I’ve ever gotten in my life,” he whispered to her.

Henley received a make-up set from Jack, a “Do you believe in magic?” t-shirt from Danny, and a handmade sign from Sutton.

“’Magic brought us together. Love kept us here,’” Henley read, her eyes filling up with tears. She turned to her cousin, burying her head in Sutton’s shoulder. “I love you so much,” Henley cried.

“I love you more,” Sutton whispered.

Jack received a weight set from Danny, a wallet from Merritt, a blanket with playing cards on the front from Henley, and a friendship bracelet from Sutton.

“Weirdly enough, I made you one just like this,” Jack smiled at Sutton as he put the bracelet on.

“Wait, you know how to make this kind of thing?” Danny asked him.

“I watched YouTube videos to learn,” Jack admitted. Turning to Sutton, he said, “Only the best for my best friend.”

Danny received a North Carolina Tar Heels t-shirt from Jack, a step-by-step guide on how to be less arrogant from Merritt, a stuffed bunny with a magic hat and wand from Henley, and a framed drawing of a fox and her pup from Sutton.

“Wait, you like foxes?” Henley questioned. Danny nodded, admiring Sutton’s work. “Wow, you are human.”

Danny pulled Sutton into a side hug and whispered, “Thank you.”

Sutton received a very similar friendship bracelet from Jack, a “Scooby-Doo is my spirit animal” t-shirt from Danny, and a scrapbook from Henley.

“Every show, every program, every little picture,” Henley smiled, “it’s in there.”

Sutton smiled at her older cousin before the tears began to trickle slowly. “Thank you. I love it.”

~~

After making the usual Christmas phone call to her family in Texas, Sutton decided to take a walk. After long, Sutton found herself sitting on a bench in a park watching swans swim on a small pond. She smiled to herself, grateful to have the Horseman as a loving family. She watched as two swans brushed their heads against one another.

“Maybe they like each other,” a voice from behind her spoke up.

Sutton smiled. “Maybe they are just friends.”

Danny took a seat beside her on the bench. “Isn’t it funny how animals can express their feelings better than humans?”

Sutton chuckled. “Yeah, it is. I mean, dogs do it every single day. They show more love in a day than some people show in a year.”

Danny smiled. “Um, I wanted to thank you for my Christmas present.”

“No need to,” Sutton smiled.

“It’s supposed to be a reminder, isn’t it?” Danny intrigued, looking Sutton in the eye for the first time since their encounter in Paris.

“Yeah,” Sutton blushed, looking away. “Um, it’s just to remind you that-“

“My mom is always with me,” Danny finished for her.

“I always knew you were a momma’s boy growing up, Danny,” Sutton giggled. 

Danny chuckled lightly. “I, um, I wanted to give you something,” he said, digging in his jacket pocket.

“Danny, you already gave me my Christmas present, which I love by the way.”

“Well, you and Scooby-Doo have a lot in common,” Danny reminded her, pulling out a skinny box. “Sorry I didn’t have time to wrap it.”

Sutton smiled. “No worries,” she whispered as Danny placed the box in her hand. Slowly, Sutton opened it, tearing up at the item inside.

“Do you like it?”

Sutton was at a loss for words, so she nodded. Taking the anklet in his hands, Danny crouched down in front of Sutton. He pushed up her pants leg and clamped the silver and rose gold jewelry around her ankle.

“Danny,” Sutton breathed as she finally found her words. “Where in the world would you have found a penguin anklet?”

“I have my ways,” he smiled as he sat down close to her.

“It’s beautiful,” Sutton admired, her new accessory shining under the lamplight.

Danny watched as Sutton’s imperfect smile never faded. He looked over her body, admiring her ability to dress like a teenager and still manage to be undeniably attractive.

“It’s snowing,” Sutton exclaimed, knocking Danny out of his thoughts. “It’s in your hair,” she laughed, pulling lightly on the snow-covered strands.

Danny chuckled, brushing the snowflakes that landed in Sutton’s hair. Their eyes met, a green field meeting a blue ocean. Danny placed his hand on Sutton’s reddening face from the winter air. Sutton leaned into his touch, the warm sensation causing her stomach to fill with butterflies. In that perfect moment, Danny leaned toward Sutton slowly, their gaze never breaking. When their lips were only centimeters apart, a snowflake fell on Sutton’s nose. The couple laughed lightly, their combined breaths warming their faces.

“Merry Christmas, Sutton.”

“Merry Christmas, Danny.”

In that moment, the two shared a perfect kiss. One filled with more passion and love than the ones in Paris. Pulling away, they smiled at one another, Sutton biting her lip lightly in an attempt to keep the feeling of Danny’s lips on hers. Danny and Sutton were sure of their feelings for one another now more than ever before.


	18. Chapter XVIII

“Just do exactly as we practiced,” Danny told the other Horsemen, not wanting anything to go wrong.

“Why don’t you do us all a favor and let Sutton run the show, huh?” Merritt told him as he licked his fingers clean from the Doritos he had been eating.

Danny rolled his eyes. “Sutton and I are in agreement. We are both running this thing, even Tressler said so, remember?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Jack, Merritt, and Henley waved as Sutton gave a small giggle.

“You know,” Merritt started, “Las Vegas is known as the gambling capital of the world.”

“Your point?” Danny remarked.

“Well, I just thought I would remind the girls that ‘a little gambling is fun when you're with me.’”

Jack burst out in laughter. “Did you just try to use Lady Gaga lyrics as a pick up line?”

“That’s a poor attempt even for you, Merritt,” Sutton giggled.

The mentalist scowled. “Well, thanks a lot.”

“You know what they also say, Merritt,” Henley said before turning around and singing into a make-up brush. “’I want your love and I want your revenge. You and me could write a bad romance.’”

Jack and Sutton cried out in laughter while Danny sat there in complete shock. “Did that really just happen?” he asked.

“I will take that as an open invitation, Miss Reeves,” Merritt winked, trying his best to hold back a laugh.

“Keep dreaming, Merritt,” Jack chuckled.

“Ah, it’s so lovely to hear you all laughing together,” Tressler spoke as he entered the room, Jasmine on his tail.

“Art,” Merritt called, standing up to shake the benefactor’s hand. “Good to see you, buddy! I was trying to keep these hooligans on the right path. You know, stay away from drugs and what not.”

Jasmine stifled a chuckle as Tressler glared at Merritt. “Are we sure he isn’t on anything?”

The team broke out in laughter. “We’re not 100% sure but there is a possibility that his mind constantly acts as though he is on something,” Sutton joked.

Tressler gave a light laugh. “That was a good one, Miss Reeves. Perhaps if this magic act goes south, you may have a career in stand-up comedy.”

Sutton snorted a laugh. “I’m only funny in the right situation. I could never be a comedian.”

“You won’t need to be one,” Danny reminded her, “because we’re going to blow the roof off this place.”

“Is it just me or is Danny even more awkward when he tries to be cool?” Jack asked.

“I am so cool,” Danny scoffed.

“Very well then,” Tressler stated, stopping an argument from arising. “I expect a ‘thank you’ announcement, yes?”

“Of course,” the Reeves girls smiled. Tressler and Jasmine said their goodbyes and waved, leaving the room.

“I hate having to be nice to that guy,” Sutton moaned as Henley continued with her make-up.

“At least it’s only for a little while longer,” Danny reminded her.

“I know, but I feel bad. I mean, Jasmine is so sweet. I don’t want her to go down with this.”

“She’ll run before she can take any blame,” Merritt interjected. “Trust me, they always do.”

“Don’t be a buzzkill, man,” Jack said, hitting his shoulder. “We need to stay pumped for this. I mean, I’ve been dreaming of this day ever since my uncle taught me how to slice the air with a playing card.”

“I’ve been dreaming about this day ever since I was a little girl traveling with my parents,” Henley said. “Okay, you’re good to go,” she told Sutton, who hopped off the make-up chair and smoothed down her lace dress.

“Wow, that’s a bit short, don’t you think, Sutters?” Jack commented, tugging lightly on the hem. 

Sutton shrugged, taking a seat on the couch next to Danny who swallowed hard. It took all he had not to leave indents in her thighs with his fingertips.

“Jack, it is not short,” Henley explained. “I’ve worn shorter outfits before.”

“Oh, we know,” Merritt winked. “Seriously, though, don’t bend over, sweetie.”

“Okay, can we not talk about how short Sutton’s dress may or may not be?” Danny burst, the thoughts in his head going south.

“Oh, is someone enjoying the conversation a bit too much?” Henley joked, raising an eyebrow.

“I-I just want to focus on the show.”

“Me too!” Sutton added quickly, tying her heels on, the penguin anklet from Danny shining. She smiled at the accessory which seemed glued to her body now. She bit her lip to hold back a smile and stood, throwing on her white blazer. “Let’s go warm up.”

The Horsemen made their way behind the large black curtain. As they walked, Merritt pulled Sutton behind the group.

“I’m curious, why do you and Danny always seem to be in agreement?” Merritt asked.

“I’m not sure what you’re talking about,” Sutton said, playing with her microphone.

“Sutton,” Merritt said, grabbing her hand. “I know you have been falling more and more for him ever since that night with Tressler.” Sutton tried to interject but Merritt threw a hand up to stop her. “You’re a big girl, Sutton. I have no right to tell you what you can and can’t do but I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

Sutton nodded, glancing over at Danny as he played with a deck of cards. “Merritt, I can’t tell you all that has happened between Danny and me, not right now at least. What I can tell you, though, is that he isn’t an arrogant asshole with me. He’s…”

“Different,” Merritt finished, sighing. “That’s what they all say.”

“He is, Merritt. You just need to trust me on this one.”

“I trust you, Sutton,” he said, bringing her in for a hug. “It’s him I’m not sure about.”

~~

“Merritt McKinney, Sutton Reeves, Daniel Atlas, Henley Reeves, Jack Wilder,” the announcer’s voice boomed through the speakers. “Arthur Tressler and the MGM Grand proudly presents the Horsemen.” Cheers and claps erupted throughout the large arena. This was it. This was their time.

Sutton drew in a long nervous breath. She looked over at Danny who reflected her actions but gave her a reassuring grin.

“If you can stab a guy with a sleep injection,” Danny whispered, “you can do this.”

Sutton smirked and grabbed Danny’s hand. “We can do this.”

With a quick squeeze to their hands, the team burst onto the stage, cheers increasing twofold.


	19. Chapter XIX

Merritt thanked the crowd before the final act began. “Tonight we would like to try something that will, well, set us a bit apart.”

“For our final trick,” Henley announced, “we’re gonna do something never before seen on a Las Vegas stage.”

“Or any stage for that matter,” Jack added.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Sutton called, meeting Danny at the set of stairs. Together, they ran up them.

“Tonight,” Danny continued.

“We are going to rob a bank,” the pair announced in unison, their arms outstretched as to invite the audience to join in their crime. The audience erupted into loud cheers.

“That’s a lot of excitement for a crime, don’t you think, Sutton?” Danny asked, placing a hand on her arm to turn her attention toward him.

Their eyes met, and a smile spread across Sutton’s face. “I’m getting excited! What about you, people?” she asked the audience as she broke from Danny’s hold, the smile never leaving her face.

“One, two, three!” Merritt and Jack counted down on the side of the stage before dramatically high-fiving one another.

“Okay, okay. Now, please, please, settle down,” Danny instructed the crowd, giving Sutton a nod to continue.

“Now who here has a bank they would like us to rob?” she asked the crowd, strolling along the edge of the circle atop the stairs. Thousands of voices cried out as bodies jumped up and down throughout the crowd.

“That’s a lot of people with a vendetta,” Danny inferred. “So, we’ll choose one at random then. My associates will make sure it’s random, right?”

Jack leaned down to a man. “Elvis, help me out, bud,” he said as the man searched for a ping pong ball he hoped was his own.

“In Jack’s bowl are ping pong balls with section numbers,” Sutton informed the crowd. “Jack, could you hand me a section number?” Jack threw her the ball. “Thank you, we are looking at Section B.”

“Where is Section B?” Danny asked the crowd. The section erupted in cheers. “Okay. There. It’s gonna be one of you guys. Get ready.”

“I don’t know why everybody’s happy,” Sutton laughed. “It’s only them.”

“Merritt, can I get a row, please?” Danny called as Merritt threw him the ping pong ball. “Thank you, Merritt. We are looking at row number 5.”

“Where’s that?” Sutton questioned as the row cheered.

“And Henley, could I please have a random seat number?” Danny asked the escape artist. She threw him the ball but Sutton stepped in front and caught it.

“Too slow,” Sutton winked as the crowd laughed. “Oh, lucky number 13!” she announced, tossing Danny the two ping pong balls in her hands.

Danny smiled at her. “B-5-13. Where are you?” He searched the crowd as the spotlight hit the victim. “Sir, please, stand up. There you are. Hi. Could you just confirm for me that this is, in fact, your seat? B-5-13.”

Etienne looked behind him. “Yes,” he confirmed.

“Okay, wonderful,” Danny said, tossing the ping pong balls to the side. “Now, could you please tell us your name and the name of your bank?” he laughed.

“Well, my name is Etienne Forcier,” he announced, “and my bank, it’s, uh, Credit Republican de Paris.”

“French, okay,” Sutton intrigued. “Yeah, I totally know how to speak that.” She turned away from the Frenchman, shaking her head and mouthing “not” to the audience behind her. They laughed.

“We were hoping for something a little more local,” Danny explained, “a kind of mom-and-pop credit union with no security, but that’s fine.”

“A promise is a promise, Daniel,” Sutton smirked with a bite to her lip.

Danny visibly gulped but gave her a side smile. “Could you please come up to the stage and we’ll, uh, rob your bank?”

“And while he does that,” Sutton stepped in, “there is someone here tonight without whom we would just be five magicians working the circuit, trying to get… Well, actually, trying to get here.”

“You probably know this man, if not from one of the many, many companies he puts his name on,” Danny continued. “He is our friend. He is our benefactor. Mr. Arthur Tressler. Please, stand up, Art. Please, stand up.”

“The only man here with the Queen’s cell phone number,” Merritt added, getting a chuckle out of the crowd.

“Actually, please stay standing, Art,” Sutton instructed. “I want to say that when we came to Mr. Tressler, we promised that, as a unit, we could become the biggest name in magic.” As she finished, her and Merritt blew him a kiss and made their way over to Etienne.

“So, we wanted to say thank you,” Henley told him. “And by the way, Art, you notice on the sign out front, we made sure to put your name on top.”

“If you turn out to be as good as you think you are, dear girl,” Tressler replied to Henley, “that won’t be necessary much longer.”

“We haven’t done our closer yet,” Henley reminded him. “Why don’t you keep watching it and then you can decide for yourself. Ladies and gentlemen, Arthur Tressler!”

“Thank you. And, of course, once again, the Cardinals of Clairvoyance, Merritt McKinney and Sutton Reeves,” Danny announced, gesturing to the two mentalists.

“Etienne, what Jack is bringing to the stage now is what we in the magic world call a teleportation helmet,” Sutton explained. Jack showed off the helmet to the audience who awed in its beauty.

“You will need to wear this, as it will allow you to literally fold through space and time to your bank in the… 8th?” Merritt guessed.

“9th arrondissement,” Sutton answered as Etienne gave her a nod of confirmation. “Now, once you are there, we will be able to speak with you through this helmet.”

Jack slipped the helmet on Etienne’s head. “Now if… Oh, my Gosh, that’s beautiful,” Merritt joked. “It has the added attraction of being very stylish.”

“It’s about time the French learned from Americans on that subject, huh, Merritt?” Sutton giggled.

Merritt nodded. “Is that a beautiful piece of headgear?” he asked the crowd who responded with cheers. Etienne thanked them.

“But, before you go anywhere,” Danny called as he and Henley made their way up the stairs, “could you please, pick a card, any card.” Etienne reached for a card and Danny pulled it back. “Not that card. No, that’s an old American joke. You can take that one.” Etienne did. “Show it to your friends in Section B there. B-But not to us.”

“Okay, great,” Sutton smiled, whipping out a Sharpie. “Now if you could just sign your name there.”

“In English, if possible,” Danny laughed. Merritt rewarded Danny for his humor. “Put it in your pocket.”

“And now for one tiny detail,” Henley announced as she threw her hand into the air, black fabric waving and unraveling across center stage.

“Woah,” Danny murmured as he clapped.

“Pretty cool, huh?” Sutton smiled as she clapped along. Danny nodded.

“Now, Etienne, let’s step into this cockamamie contraption,” Merritt instructed the Frenchman. “And I’ll step off of it. Bonne chance.”

“It’s 11:50 p.m. here in Vegas,” Sutton informed the man. “That’s 8:50 a.m. in Paris. Your bank opens in less than 10 minutes.”

Merritt started the countdown. “One, two…”

“Three,” the Reeves girls smiled, pressing the large red button.

The machine before them clamped shut, not a trace of Etienne in sight. The audience gasped.

“What the fuck?” someone whispered.

“Etienne?” the team called.

“It wasn’t supposed to happen like that, was it?” Merritt questioned the girls. They shrugged and called for the man again. “I liked that little French guy. Where’d he go?”

“Wait, there he is!” Danny excitedly announced as Etienne’s picture popped up on the screens around the arena. The audience cheered. “No, no, no, no, please, please, please. This is Daniel Atlas. Can you hear me?”

Sutton shivered. Something about Danny saying his full name made her tingly. She wasn’t about to complain, though.

“Etienne? Are you okay?”

“Yes,” Etienne answered.

“Perfect. What do you see in there?”

“Money. Is this real?” the Frenchman questioned.

“Yes. It looks like three million or so Euros’ worth.”

Sutton leaned on Danny to talk to Etienne through the mic. “Okay, now, here’s what we’re gonna need you to do.”

Danny chuckled and went along with the bit. “I want you to take the card that you signed out of your pocket. And I want you to take the ticket stub from tonight’s show and I want you to put it right there in the middle of the money. Now…”

“Drop it,” Danny and Sutton instructed in unison, their eyes meeting. Smiles spread across both their faces.

“Now on the side of your helmet you should feel a button,” Danny continued. “Don’t press it just yet. That button activates an air duct that connects Paris to Las Vegas. Okay, good. Now you can press it.”

“All right, Etienne, hold on tight,” Jack reminded him. “You might feel a bit of a vacuum.”

“Wait a second,” Sutton acted, holding onto Danny’s arm as a rumbling sound filled the arena.

Danny looked down at Sutton’s fingers wound around his bicep. He raised an eyebrow at the girl who winked, saying, “Gotta make it look real, right?”

Just then, Euros began to fall from the sky. The audience cheered as they tried to catch the money.

“Thank you, Etienne!” Danny yelled as he stayed connected to Sutton. “Thank you, everyone!”

“We are the Horsemen!” the team cried in unison, telling the crowd good night. Sutton took hold of Danny and Jack’s hand as they bowed for the audience.


	20. Chapter XX

Warning: Mature content (language, smut)

“I can’t believe that just happened!” Jack laughed as he flopped down on the couch in their Aria hotel suite.

“Hey, that’s my couch, boy!” Merritt yelled. Jack groaned and slid off it. Without missing a beat, Merritt took his spot.

Sutton and Danny took a seat on two arm chairs as Henley lectured the group about moping around after their hype. “You can’t tell me you’re all tired after that high!” she yelled.

Sutton huffed and threw her heeled feet on the coffee table. Danny took the time to admire her black painted toe nails and the penguin anklet wrapped around her slim pale ankle. He smiled to himself on a job well done.

“If you didn’t notice, Hen,” Sutton threw back, “I did a lot of talking tonight. Danny, too.”

“Yeah, I’m growing hoarse,” the illusionist added, rubbing his throat.

Henley rolled her eyes. “Please tell me that my party boys aren’t bailing on a night on the town with moi.” Her French accent had become annoying.

“Absolutely not!” Merritt shot up, looping his and Henley’s arms together.

“Jack?”

Jack looked between the two parties, receiving a death glare from Sutton. Jack gave her a smirk and took his place next to Henley.

“You’re dead to me, Jack Wilder!” Sutton yelled with a yawn.

“Yeah, because you and Danny will be any entertainment,” Jack retorted as Danny yawned. “See what I mean. You two will be passed out by 2.”

Sutton rolled her eyes toward the clock on the wall. It was already one in the morning. “You give us no credit.”

“Bye!” the party animals exclaimed as they exited the suite.

Danny and Sutton sat in silence for a moment, enjoying the emptiness of the hotel suite. With a huff and a shove off the chair, Sutton announced, “I think I’m going to take a quick shower before I head to bed.”

“Is that an invitation?” Danny joked. Sutton’s eyes widened and Danny mentally hit himself for his idiotic comment. “I-I was just kidding, Sutton. I would never actually do that.”

“Oh, so you no longer find me attractive, Atlas?” Sutton joked back, a smirk forming as she climbed the stairs.

“I-I never said that,” Danny blushed as he stood, rubbing the back of his neck.

Sutton giggled. “And I never said you weren’t attractive, either.” She felt herself blush as her confidence rose.

Danny smirked and walked up the steps where Sutton was. “So, I see your confidence has boosted from performing tonight.”

“Maybe it has,” Sutton admitted, biting her lip.

Danny held back a groan. Instead, he minimized the gap between them, their mouths only inches apart. “I thought we discussed what that action of yours does to me.”

“Did we, Daniel?” Sutton said, biting her lip once more.

This time, Danny let a small groan escape. Hearing her use his first name with seduction turned him on more than he thought.

Sutton chuckled. “I’m going to take a shower,” she reminded him, lightly patting his cheek as she turned and walked toward the bathroom.

Danny let out a loud, frustrated groan as he flung his head back. He headed toward the other bathroom quickly, needing a cold shower.

~~

After her shower, Sutton sat on her bed wrapped in a towel in her suite, scrolling through the various social media outlets for news on their performance. The sound of Danny shutting off his shower was heard ten minutes ago and Sutton had yet to touch her bag. With a sigh, she lied back on the bed, rolling over to look in her neatly organized bag.

“Henley, you didn’t,” Sutton groaned, spying the lacy black material Merritt had bought her for Christmas. She rolled onto her back, rubbing her temples as she groaned again.

“Sutton, are you okay?” Danny asked from outside the locked door. Sutton jumped.

“Y-Yeah,” she stuttered. “I’m just not sure if I want a snack before bed or not,” she lied.

“Oh, well, how about popcorn with sugar?” Danny suggested. “I know you love that.”

Sutton bit her lip as she smiled. Danny was beginning to know her too well, and Sutton wasn’t about to complain. She looked down at the lacy material again, running her hand over it. An idea sparked her. “Sure, Danny. I’ll be down in a few minutes.”

A hopeful Danny gave a light smile. “Okay,” he replied, the sound of him bounding down the steps echoing.

There was no need to style her hair; Sutton hadn’t washed it, afraid that over washing her hair would cause it to dry out. She grabbed her lotion from the nightstand, the smell of it engulfing her as she applied it to her body. With a smile, Sutton slipped on the sexy black material. She wrapped the silk black robe around her.

“You can do this, Sutton,” she told herself as she admired her form in the mirror. With a deep breath in, Sutton opened the bedroom door.

“Sutton, the popcorn’s done,” Danny called from the kitchen as Sutton leaned against the banister. “You coming down or do I need to come up there?” he joked, snickering to himself.

Danny appeared in the living room, walking over toward the couch with the bowl of sugar-coated popcorn in his hands. He was wearing shorts and a t-shirt, yet still looked just as attractive as ever. He threw a piece up in the air, leaning his head back to catch it. Before the piece of popcorn had time to fall into his mouth, Danny had spotted Sutton.

Sutton giggled as the ignored piece of popcorn hit Danny’s head. “You gonna pick that up?”

“Um, uh, y-yeah,” Danny stuttered, picking the piece up and placing it on a side table. “W-Why are you wearing that?”

Sutton turned red as panic released itself throughout her body. “Oh, um, uh, I guess I was just, uh… Oh, never mind,” she sighed, feeling defeated. “This was stupid.”

“No, no, no, no,” Danny reassured her as he set the popcorn on the couch and bounded up the stairs quickly. He curled his hands around Sutton’s, stroking the backs of them with his thumbs. “This is definitely not stupid.” He lifted her hands to his mouth, giving each a light kiss.

Sutton bit her lip. “I guess I was just feeling a bit too confident.”

“I love your confidence,” Danny reminded her. “Why don’t you tell me what you were up to?”

Sutton raised an eyebrow at him, but told him anyway. “I guess I was hoping to rekindle what we started in Paris.”

“But, I thought we chopped that up to the ‘romanticism of Paris.’” Sutton raised her eyebrow at him once more. “Yeah, you’re right. That was a total lie on my part.”

Sutton giggled. “Mine too, Danny,” she said, closing the gap between them.

“If this happens, Sutton,” Danny breathed, swallowing hard, “there is no going back. I won’t be able to st-.”

Sutton shushed him, placing a finger to his lips. “Let’s make a deal,” she whispered. “This is merely two friends helping each other release their sexual frustrations.” She leaned in closer to Danny, gathering his t-shirt up in her hands.

Danny took no time breaking the distance between them. Their lips connected in a heat of passion, Sutton’s hands quickly yanking on Danny’s hair as Danny bent his knees slightly to pick her up. Sutton wrapped her legs around Danny’s waist as his’s fingers left marks on her thighs and rear. Sutton moaned into Danny’s mouth which only made his member grow harder.

Wasting no time, Danny took them to Sutton’s room, letting Sutton fall softly onto the duvet. Before forgetting, Danny locked the door, removing his shirt as he journeyed back to her. Taking the belt of her robe in his hands, Danny slowly removed the satin from Sutton’s body. “Oh, my God,” Danny breathed before placing a soft kiss to her lips, “you’re beyond beautiful.”

Sutton blushed as Danny kissed her neck, the hairs on his face tickling her. She used her feet to remove Danny’s shorts as he continued to kiss his way between her breasts, lightly kissing the exposed portions of each. He continued his way down her stomach to the hem of her panties, ignoring the tattoo he so desperately wanted to see in full view.

Danny scrunched his eyebrows together. “This isn’t the outfit Merritt bought you, is it?”

Sutton groaned, rolling over onto her stomach. “Henley packed it.”

Danny chuckled, sliding his body up the back of hers. “He did well, didn’t he?” he whispered in her ear, brushing her hair to the side and kissing down her back. Sutton moaned a ‘yes.’

Once he reached the hem of her panties once more, Danny pushed Sutton onto her back, hitching her legs around his waist. Sutton grinned as Danny pulled her upper body toward him for a kiss. In one swift movement, Danny managed to make Sutton straddle him, his member hard against her sensitive bud.

Danny’s large rough hands roamed Sutton’s back as his soft, plump lips made a trail down her neck. As he sucked on her collarbone, Sutton let out a soft groan. Danny smirked against her skin, moving his hands to Sutton’s rear and giving it a hard squeeze.

Sutton yelped out a moan, her breast now in Danny’s line of vision as she arched her back. “Can we get rid of this?” Danny asked through hooded eyes. Sucking in a breath, Sutton nodded.

Slowly and painfully, Danny’s expert hands unclasped the thin fabric covering Sutton. Gently, his hands pulled the straps down Sutton’s arms. Sucking in a breath and closing her eyes, Sutton felt the fabric from her breast fall.

Danny swallowed. “Y-You can open your eyes, beautiful.”

Sutton listened, opening them to a mystified Danny, who said, “I’ve been wondering what this tattoo said for a long while now,” as he brushed over it lightly with his hand. “’The ones that love us never really leave us.’”

Sutton blushed. “It’s from Harry Potter.”

Danny’s icy blue eyes met her mossy green ones. “I’m not surprised,” he answered, dipping his head down to place soft kisses over her etched body.

As she felt the last kiss, Sutton found herself on her back once more. “I’m growing tired of being such a nice guy,” Danny smirked, his eyes now glazing over in ecstasy.

Sutton groaned. “Thank God! I’m growing tired of it, too.”

Roughly, they engaged in a wicked session of lip-locking. Danny massaged Sutton’s breasts, needing them gently. Sutton palmed Danny through his boxer briefs, a long moan releasing from the illusionist’s mouth. Sutton smirked.

“Don’t start,” Danny mumbled into Sutton’s mouth, moving his lips down to her nipples.

Sutton groaned, both from the nibbling Danny was conducting and the loss of her upper hand. “That’s not fair,” she moaned, bucking her hips into Danny’s chest.

Danny looked at her through the hair in his face. Slowly, he crept down to the young mentalist’s pelvis, kissing her sensitive bud through the thin lace material. A moan dragged out through Sutton’s lips as her hands flew to Danny’s hair. Again, Danny looked at her with wanting eyes, requesting to move further.

“Please, Danny,” Sutton moaned, tugging lightly on his hair.

In one haste movement, Danny had lifted Sutton from the bed and removed her panties, tossing them to the floor with her bra. “I bet I can have you begging for more in less than a minute,” he told her, his eyes widening in hunger as he sunk back down to Sutton’s core.

“I highly doubt th-“ Sutton began as she interrupted herself with a loud moan, her eyes rolling to the back of her head as the illusionist lapped at her folds. Sutton tugged harder on the strands of Danny’s hair.

A growl erupted deep within Danny’s throat, vibrating his lips which added to Sutton’s pleasure. Danny wasted no time as he inserted two fingers into Sutton’s wet core, pumping them in and out painfully slow.

“F-Faster,” Sutton felt herself moan.

“I’m sorry, what was that?” Danny asked, licking his lips as he continued his fingering motion. Sutton mouthed “shit,” throwing her head back in defeat. “Did you beg me for more?”

Sutton lifted her head, tightening her grip on Danny’s hair. “Just do it,” she growled through gritted teeth.

Danny moaned, his arousal about to burst through his boxer briefs with the control this girl had over him. “I’d rather fuck you hard and fast,” Danny blurted, removing his fingers and crashing his lips yet again to Sutton’s.

“Condom. My bag,” Sutton huffed between kisses. “Thank God for Henley’s traveling tips.”

Danny nodded, leaning over to remove the foil packet. Quickly, Sutton sat up and pushed Danny’s boxer briefs down his thighs. She gasped, not believing how much of an effect she had on him. “I told you you’re beautiful,” Danny blushed, trying to make a joke.

“Um, it’s just that, I, uh,” Sutton stuttered, “I never thought we would be… you know.”

“And I never thought you would see me like this.”

“Well, you did say I was the only girl who you thought would be able to control you,” Sutton reminded him as she took the shining foil packet from his hand. Danny raised an eyebrow at her, but Sutton just smiled, trailing her lips down his neck and chest. Slowly, she removed the latex from its home and slid it on Danny’s awaiting shaft, her movements causing shivers to run up and down his body.

Sutton laid back on the bed, taking in the power she had over Danny. She bit her lip, and with such great confidence said, “Are you going to just sit there or-“

Danny had cut her off as he attacked her lips, sliding his member expertly into Sutton’s soaking core. They both let out a loud, long awaited moan. “I’ve waited so long to feel just how tight you are,” Danny whispered seductively in her ear.

Sutton stared up at him as he pumped in and out of her, their bodies already covering in sweat. “And I’ve waited so long to ride you,” Sutton told him as she pushed him backwards, Danny’s arousal never leaving Sutton’s own.

Danny gripped her hips, a cocky smile spread across his face. “I knew you had a wild side, Sutton.”

Sutton placed her hands on Danny’s chest. “You have no idea,” she replied with a kiss as Danny sat up slightly on the pillows.

With a quick smirk shared, Danny moved Sutton’s hips up and down, a moan releasing from their mouths at the friction. Sutton’s nails racked Danny’s chest, leaving dark red marks. A growl escaped Danny’s mouth once more as he wrapped an arm around Sutton’s waist, pulling the girl closer to him and allowing his member to plunge deeper into her core.

Sutton moaned loudly into Danny’s ear. “Oh, fuck. Danny, harder.”

Leaning their foreheads against one another, their eyes meant as Danny pumped harder and faster. Sutton wound her arms around the back of Danny’s neck. They stared at one another as they reached their highs in sync, moans filling the room. In the silence, the two stayed motionless, huffing and puffing, just staring in disbelief that they were in this position.

“I guess,” Sutton spoke up, “your card fit you well.”

Danny chuckled lightly as Sutton rolled over, sitting up on the bed and clothing herself in her panties and her Scooby-Doo t-shirt Danny had gotten her from her bag on the floor.

“You sleep in that?” Danny questioned as he slipped into the bathroom to clean up. He emerged with his boxer briefs wrapped around his waist.

“Mm-hmm,” Sutton hummed as she laid back in bed, propping herself up on one arm.

Even though he smiled, Danny let out a frustrated sigh, running his hands over his face and lying beside her. He placed his hands behind his head. “Now what?”

Sutton stared at him, allowing herself to run her hand down the marks she had left on his chest. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “This wasn’t part of the plan.”

“I know,” Danny added, rolling over to face her. He placed a light kiss to the girl’s lips. “But I don’t regret it.”

Sutton gave him a side smile. “Me either,” she told him, biting her lip. “Let’s just keep this between us for now, okay?”

Danny nodded. “We don’t need anything interfering with this plan. I mean, we didn’t steal that money for nothing.”

Sutton agreed. “You should probably head to your room,” she said as her eyes glanced over her cell phone screen. “It’s almost 3:30. The others should be back-“

There was a clatter down stairs as Merritt yelled an unrecognizable sentence.

Sutton rolled her eyes. “Like I said, you better go to your room.”


	21. Chapter XXI

Sutton awoke the next morning with a slight pain between her legs. She let out a loud groan as she sat up slowly, dreading the interrogation that awaited her. After stretching, Sutton showered and did her hair, tying it into a half-up knot at the back of her head. She slipped into a pair of skinny jeans and threw a charcoal tank top over her head before a knock sounded on her door.

“What a beautiful morning for an arrest, eh?” Henley smiled, leaning against the doorframe. She looked her cousin up and down. “Someone looks like they decided to put effort into their outfit today. Hoping to find a single FBI agent?”

Sutton rolled her eyes as she slid on her glasses in order to see to tie her shoelaces. “Heaven forbid I try for a change and make Her Majesty happy.”

Henley giggled like a school girl. “Hurry up, babe. I want to throw some of my make-up in your bag. For some reason, it isn’t all fitting in mine.”

“Maybe if you wouldn’t have bought so many souvenirs you would have room.”

“Shut up and go eat.”

Sutton laughed, grabbing her gray and wine-colored jacket before heading for the stairs. She turned at the bottom toward the kitchen.

“Morning, Sutters,” Jack welcomed her as he drank his morning coffee. He slid her a chocolate chip banana muffin.

“What time did you get to bed, girly?” Merritt asked from the couch as he read a book titled, The Savage Detectives.

Sutton’s eyes met Danny’s as he glanced up from the newspaper. “I think I fell asleep right before 2.”

Jack let out a loud laugh. “I knew you couldn’t stay up late! What about you, Danny? Tell me I’m two for two.”

Danny let out an exaggerated huff. “I passed out right after my shower, so about 1:45.”

Jack chuckled. “You’re ridiculous. We didn’t get in until, what, 3:30?”

“That sounds about right,” Merritt nodded. “Man, that was some party.”

Sutton giggled. “Why don’t you go get dressed? The FBI will be here in about 5 minutes.”

“Let ‘em see me in my jammies,” Merritt protested. “It’s in the Miranda Rights that the criminal has time to change, right?”

“You can’t be serious,” Danny scoffed, carefully folding the paper and setting it on the coffee table before walking over to the large glass windows of the Aria suite.

Sutton licked her fingers as she walked to the kitchen to wash her hands and face. Inhaling, she strode over toward Danny. “Hey,” she whispered only loud enough for him to hear.

Danny looked over at her, a smile pulling at the edge of his lips. “Hey.”

Sutton brushed her hand across Danny’s as she moved closer to him. “I thought about you last night.”

“I thought about you vividly,” Danny expressed as he caught her pinky finger with his own.

Sutton glanced over her shoulder, watching as the FBI stormed toward the entrance of the Aria hotel. “Do you ever wonder if whoever created this whole plan is on the inside?”

“The inside as in the FBI?”

“Yeah,” Sutton confirmed. “I mean, it would make sense for an easy cover, right?”

Danny nodded just as the door of the apartment was flung open. “FBI! Hands where I can see them! Let’s go!” the FBI agents yelled.

“Uno memento,” Merritt told them, lifting a finger.

“He’s going to get us killed,” Sutton muttered as she lifted her hands in surrender. Danny snickered.

“Let’s go! Get ‘em up! Put the book down.”

“Okay, you got me,” Merritt smirked.

“Freeze! Hands in the air!” an agent yelled as the team pointed their guns to the top of the stairs.

“Oh, my!” Henley gasped, throwing her hands up in surprise. “Do one of you guys mind giving us a hand with our bags?”

The agents looked at one another, shaking their heads. “Damn, magicians,” the lead agent muttered. “Grab your bags and let’s go.”

“Do I not get to change?” Merritt asked. “Isn’t that a right?”

~~

The crowd in the Aria lobby cheered for the Horsemen as they made their grand exit.

“Jack!” a group of girls screeched. He gave them a smirk and a curtly nod.

A high-pitched whistle blew, followed by, “Henley, you’re so hot!” Henley smiled and waved.

Sutton huffed, feeling as though she were a year in the past. She was Henley’s sideshow once more, performing the act as Henley received the cheers.

“Danny!” shrieking female voices burst Sutton’s eardrums. It took all she had not to turn to look at the faces of the women.

The agents placed the Horsemen in two separate cars. Sutton, Henley, and Jack rode in one, and Danny and Merritt rode in another.

“I bet Merritt comes out of the car with a black eye,” Jack laughed, nudging Sutton with his elbow.

“No, I bet Merritt interrogates Danny,” Henley smirked.

Jack let out a snort. “Merritt was trying to read him this morning but the asshole wouldn’t put the paper down.”

“W-Why would Merritt have tried to do that?” Sutton stuttered.

“I don’t know,” Jack shrugged. “Merritt said something about a ‘weird vibe’ coming off of Danny.”

“Of course he has a weird vibe,” Henley hissed. “The guy hasn’t had a single girl to impress in over a year. He’s probably sexually frustrated.” Sutton felt a blush crawling up her neck.

“You do know I haven’t had sex in over a year, either,” Jack put in.

Henley pinched his cheek. “And you don’t show your frustration which is why you’re my favorite!”

The drive to the FBI building was rather short. When the cars pulled up, Sutton marveled at the sight before her.

“Glad to be arrested or something?” the FBI agent asked Sutton as he helped her out of the car.

“No,” Sutton smiled politely. “I just always wanted to see an FBI building in person. I’m a big fan of multiple crime shows.”

“Seriously, just stop!” Danny shouted as he quickly got out of the car.

“Oh, come on, Atlas!” Merritt yelled. “The voices in my head don’t lie!”

“You do realize those voices are your conscious telling you to find psychological help,” Danny threw back.

“I resent that!” Sutton shouted, turning Danny’s attention her way. He gave her a quick smirk.

“Yeah, but you have real talent,” he winked. Sutton blushed as Merritt hollered some more.


	22. Chapter XXII

“Oh, boy,” an agent sighed as he and a female agent entered Sutton’s interrogation room, “another mentalist.”

Sutton smiled politely. “You must have met Merritt. No worries, I won’t give you a psych session. Hi, I’m Sutton Reeves,” she said as she stuck her hand out for the agent to shake.

The agent gave her a puzzled look, glancing between her face and hand. The female agent, however, grabbed Sutton’s hand firmly. “Alma Dray,” she smiled. Gesturing with her head, she said, “Dylan Rhodes.”

“Your accent is beautiful,” Sutton complimented. “I always wanted to learn French.”

“Flattery won’t get you out of here, kid,” the lead agent reminded her, slamming down Sutton’s manila file. “How’d you do it?”

“I believe that would be magic,” Sutton smirked. “Haven’t you ever heard the old saying, “A magician never reveals his secrets”?”

“Haven’t you ever heard the old saying, “Comply and you’ll be set free”?” Agent Rhodes retorted.

“No, I haven’t actually,” Sutton said, looking up at him with an intrigued look. “Was that Confucius?”

The agent slammed his fist on the table. “I’ve never hit a girl without a reason…”

“Now’s your lucky day!” Sutton congratulated him, placing her feet up on the table and lacing her fingers behind her head, the chair tilting back slightly. “Get my good side,” she said, tilting her left cheek toward the agent.

Sitting down, Agent Rhodes ran his hands down his face. “Please tell me the last Horseman we have to interrogate isn’t as awful as you and the other mentalist.”

Sutton smirked. “You haven’t met Danny yet, have you?” The agent groaned. “I’ll take that as a no. He’s a little, shall I say, cocky.” She bit her lip, remembering how full of himself Danny was last night.

As Agent Rhodes got up to leave, Agent Dray asked, “What is Danny to you?”

Sutton froze. “Excuse me?”

Intrigued by the Interpol agent’s question, the FBI agent sat back down. “Danny,” the French woman repeated. “Your eyes sparkled when you mentioned his name, and you’re biting your lip.”

“I always bite my lip,” Sutton told her, mentally scolding herself for letting her barriers down around the agents.

“Do your eyes always sparkle when you talk about Danny?”

“Danny is just my colleague,” Sutton spat, the chair legs slamming back on the ground as she sat in a normal position.

“No, he isn’t,” Agent Rhodes sneered. “What is he? Is he the ringleader of this whole thing?”

Sutton snorted, irritated with his comment. “Danny and I both run this show. You can’t give him too much credit or it will go to his head.”

“Now, I am no mentalist, but it seems to me that Daniel is much more to you than you want anyone to believe,” Agent Dray confirmed, staring Sutton down.

Sutton scoffed as Agent Rhodes raised an eyebrow. “He isn’t. Danny and I butt heads. We are too much alike to be romantically involved.” The words tasted awful as they flowed past her lips.

“I don’t think so,” Agent Dray said, a smile playing at her lips. “Be careful, Miss Reeves.”

“Let’s go tackle Atlas,” Agent Rhodes huffed.

“Good luck,” Sutton muttered as the partners left the room, leaving her with her own terrified thoughts. In frustration, she slammed her fists on the table. She didn’t think she would need her walls up around those who didn’t know her but she was wrong. Sutton needed to check her emotions at the door before she saw the other Horsemen.

“Miss Reeves,” Agent Fuller announced ten minutes later, “you can follow me to the other Horsemen.”

~~

“J. Daniel Atlas,” Agent Rhodes said as he entered the room. Danny didn’t look up at the man as he played with his deck of cards. “How is it that a team of newly acquainted magicians robs a Paris bank for nearly 3.2 million Euros?”

“You tell me,” Danny smirked as he took a quick look at the agent. “I just run the show. I’m not part of the behind-the-scenes work.”

“So, if you had nothing to do with it,” Agent Dray stated, “then how did the playing card get into the vault?”

“Oh, yes. That would be, uh, what do the kids call it these days? Oh, yes, that’s right. Magic,” Danny cockily confirmed for her.

Danny’s head yanked back as Agent Rhodes pulled on his neck, the cuffs digging into his wrists slightly. “Just answer the question, okay, smartass.”

“Alright. Sorry, sorry, sorry,” the illusionist apologized. “You can keep that,” he told the Interpol agent as he slid her a cellphone. “Don’t share it with him. As far as I understand it, when the man from Paris put on the magical helmet-“

“Listen to me,” Agent Rhodes interrupted. “If you didn’t rob that bank, then you knew about it. Which makes you an accomplice. So if you wanna walk out of here today, I’d suggest you start-”

“Okay, now you listen to me,” Danny began, shutting the FBI agent up. “Unless you think there’s a D.A. in the state of Nevada who’d be willing to make sense of this to a jury, then we have a show to perform. And you, Agent Rhodes, have a drawing board to get back to.”

“You are literally begging to be arrested. You know that?”

“If it means you would actually do it, then, yeah. But, you won’t,” Danny reminded him. “Because if you did, it means that you and the FBI, and your friends at Interpol, actually believe, at an institutional level, in magic. The press would have a field day. And we’d be even more famous than we already are. And you guys would look like idiots even more than you already are.” Agent Dray chuckled at his comments. “Well, no, not you,” Danny told her, “but him. Right?”

Agent Rhodes cocked an eyebrow at his opponent. Before he could manage a comment, Danny continued. “You have, what we in the business like to call, “nothing up your sleeve.” He demonstrated his saying. “And you know it.”

“You wanna know who sat in that chair before you?” the agent questioned Danny. “Mob bosses, murderers, and thieves.” Danny faked a gasp as Agent Rhodes continued. “And you know who put them there? The guy who’s sitting in this chair. So I warn you, I can maintain my resolve much longer than you can maintain that phony arrogance. And the instant that you even show the slightest crack in that smug façade, I’ll be there. I will be all over you like-”

“Like white on rice?” Danny finished for him. “Sorry. That’s unfair. Let me warn you. I want you to follow because no matter what you think you might know, we will always be one step, three steps, seven steps ahead of you. And just when you think you’re catching up,” he knocked on the table for emphasis, “that’s when we’ll be right behind you. And at no time will you be anywhere other than exactly where I want you to be. So come close. Get all over me because the closer you think you are, the less you’ll actually see.”

“I’m gonna nail you!” Agent Rhodes exclaimed as he stood. Quickly, Danny cuffed his hands to the desk before the agent had time to react.

“Something wrong with that soda, Miss?” Danny asked the French agent, who shook it, puzzled by the rattling sound within. She poured the soda out to find a key hidden inside. “Oh, shit!” Danny remarked as he snatched the cellphone from the expanding puddle, switching the cellphone with a bugged one. “First rule of magic. Always be the smartest guy in the room,” he reminded them as he handed Agent Rhodes the bugged phone and slipped the original into his back pocket, smiling at the camera.

“What does she see in you?” Danny heard the male agent mutter under his breath.

“Excuse me?” Danny questioned, puzzled.

“Reeves, the younger one,” Agent Dray explained.

“I-I don’t know what you mean, Agent Rhodes,” the illusionist stuttered.

“Right there,” Agent Rhodes pointed as he released the handcuffs from his hands, “that’s your weakness. It’s her.”

Danny scoffed as he sat back down in his chair. “Sutton and I are too much alike to ever be involved.”

Agent Dray chuckled. “Funny. That’s what she told us as well, and you both get the same sparkle in your eyes when you talk about one another.”

“Okay, uh, this is ridiculous,” Danny declared. “If I wanted to have a psychological session about Sutton, I would have seen Merritt.”

Agent Rhodes chuckled. “”The heart wants what it wants.” Isn’t that what the kids say?”

Danny stared at the agents in disbelief as they made their way out the door. The French agent stopped beside him and whispered, “There will come a moment when you will be absolutely certain that she is the one for you. When that moment comes, don’t lose it, Daniel.”

“Dray, let’s go,” Agent Rhodes hollered, leaving a puzzled Danny.


	23. Chapter XXIII

After the Horsemen were released, they bounded into the awaiting cars Tressler had sent for them. Danny held the door open as Sutton and Henley climbed in. As Merritt tried to slip past Danny, Henley stopped him.

“Sorry, boys, but can I have a minute alone with my cousin?” she asked. Puzzled, the boys nodded and followed Jack to the other car.

“What’s up, Hen?” Sutton asked as the cars pulled away from the curb.

Henley let out a long breath. “Those agents. I know they were just saying things to pit us against each other, but it got me thinking.”

“Wait, what did they say?”

“They just said things about trust, if I really could trust you all.”

“Henley, that’s ridiculous,” Sutton laughed. “Of course you can trust us.”

“I know, but that’s not the point, Sutton.” She turned to look her young cousin in the eye. “Since we formed the Horsemen, we don’t have our nightly talks. Remember? We would stay up until midnight every night just talking.”

Sutton frowned. Of course she remembered. Those were some of the best conversations she had in her life. “Hen, we can still talk every night, if that’s what you want. I love you, and those boys certainly aren’t going to take away the relationship we have.”

Henley gave her a smile. “Promise me that we will tell each other everything. No secrets.”

Sutton swallowed. “I-I don’t know if I can do that.”

Henley grimaced. “Why would you say that?”

“B-Because I have secrets with the boys that I promised not to tell,” Sutton blurted. It wasn’t exactly a lie. She did have secrets of Jack’s and Merritt’s, and of course there was her secret with Danny. If she told Henley what happened, there was no telling how she may react.

Henley sighed. “Yeah, that’s fair enough. As long as you never tell them my secrets,” she smiled.

Sutton smiled. “I promise never to tell them about our Braless Mondays before they moved in.”

Henley rolled her eyes. “Oh, God. It’s not like we weren’t wearing t-shirts! But they would still get a kick out of it.”

Sutton giggled, leaning over to hug Henley as the car came to a stop in front of the MGM Grand to collect their things from the show. “I love you, Hen.”

Henley kissed the top of Sutton’s head. “I love you, too, Sut.”

“Oh, my God!” Merritt exclaimed as soon as he had opened the girls’ car door. “I just keep walking in on the greatest moments of our lives.”

The girls quickly maneuvered out of the car, chasing Merritt as he ran for the safety of the building.

~~

Sutton rubbed her temples slowly, her eyes closed. “Is something bothering you?” Danny asked concerned as they sat across from each other on Tressler’s plane later that day.

“Yes, Jack’s snoring,” Sutton explained. “And, well, their laughing.” She pointed back toward Merritt and Henley as Danny took a quick peak.

“There’s something else bothering you,” Danny told her, leaning over and placing his hands on her thighs. “What’s wrong?”

Sutton huffed. “Aren’t I supposed to be the mentalist?” Danny chuckled lightly. Sutton bit her lip in an attempt to keep her mouth shut, but she knew there was no point. “The Interpol agent Alma Dray.”

Danny nodded, moving to sit next to her. “Yeah, she was, um, I don’t even know h-“

“What did she tell you about me?” Sutton blurted, reading his eyes.

Danny took in a deep breath, not knowing whether to tell her the truth or not. “The same thing she told you, I’m assuming. That we’re more than just working together.”

Sutton looked down at her lap, playing with the ring on her finger. “A-Are we?” she stuttered, afraid of the answer but even more afraid of asking Danny to his face.

Danny sat for a moment, puzzled by her question. “I, um, I’m not sure I understand your question, Sutton. I thought you said this was a mutual thing. You know, helping each other let out our sexual frustrations.” He wanted so badly to tell her that wasn’t what he felt during their night together. What he felt was so much stronger, so much deeper than just sexual frustration.

Sutton’s eyes grew wide under her curtain of red hair. He was right. It was her idea to have a “friends with benefits” night. Was that it, though? Didn’t he feel more, like she did? Did she set herself up to be one of J. Daniel Atlas’s one night stands?

Sutton heard Danny shift in his seat, uncomfortable by the silence filling the space between them. “No, no, you’re right. That’s what I said. That’s what I called it,” Sutton told him. “That was the idea, just releasing those frustrations.” Standing up, ignoring any eye contact with him as she looked back at Henley and Merritt. She watched as Jack lazily opened his eyes and stretched.

“Where are you going?” Danny asked as he grabbed her hand.

“I’m just going to the back to sit,” Sutton explained as she caught Henley’s concerned eye.

“But, I need you for the-“

“No, you don’t. You really don’t need me, Danny,” she whispered, breaking free from Danny’s grip. She strode into the small section with Henley and Merritt, who quickly sat up to let her sit down.

“Sutton,” Henley spoke, “honey, what’s wrong?”

Sutton pulled herself together quickly, plastering a smile across her face. “Nothing, Hen. I just have a headache and since you guys will be talking to Tressler soon, I thought I’d come back here.”

Henley and Merritt exchanged a knowing look. Before Merritt had time to say anything, Jack verbally stated the signal for the plan to go into action.

“Oh, hey, Danny. Can I talk to you about my role in the show real quick?”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Sure,” Danny replied, tapping Jack’s cheek with his hand. He popped his head into the small compartment. “Hey, guys. Uh, we got a show to prepare for.”

Sutton looked down at her hands. Swallowing, Merritt leaned over and kissed her forehead. “Lay down, baby girl,” he whispered. Turning toward Danny, he replied, “Oh, do we now?”

“No, no, no, don’t do that. You’re not doing that thing to me. No,” Danny told him as they made their way up toward Tressler.

“What thing?” Merritt questioned him. “I’m just looking at you.”

“No, you’re not. I’ve been watching you for a year. I know all of your little tricks.”

“Is that what they are to you? Tricks?”

“Yes, it’s gimmicks. It’s Barnum statements. It’s reading the eyes. Body language. I get it.”

“If it’s such an easy thing, why don’t you do Sutton?” Merritt asked, knowing Danny was the reason Sutton was truly upset.

Danny froze, swallowing hard. “S-She doesn’t feel well right now,” he choked out. “I’ll do, uh, I’ll do Jasmine.” He placed a hand on the woman’s shoulder who gave him a smile.

“No,” Tressler called. “Do me.”

“Oh, yeah. Yeah. Do Art,” Merritt encouraged him as he continued to read Danny’s eyes.

“Okay,” Danny said, breaking their stare-off.

“Even better.”

“But I warn you, I can be difficult to read when I want to be,” Tressler stated.

“Just, uh, stay with me, okay?” Danny instructed, pretending to link their eyes together with his fingers. “So, Art, you were a tough kid. You know, kind of a real rapscallion. You had a dog. A real tough dog. A brutish breed. Like a real, I want to say, Ben the bulldog.”

“Actually, I was a prissy little tot. I had a fluffy white cat called Snuffles,” Tressler explained.

The group laughed as Merritt “wha-wha”ed Danny’s act. Faking his frustration, Danny hit the wall of the plane, apologizing.

“Okay, I got it,” Jack boasted. “Let me try one. I can do way better than that.”

“Let him do it,” Henley smiled.

“Come on, give me one more time. One more time.”

Pointing to Jack, Henley said, “He can do way better than that.”

“Family. Let’s do family,” Danny said, glancing up at Henley who quickly looked toward the back at Sutton who was thankfully not watching this awful act. “You had an uncle on your mother’s side. He had a real, kind of, a real masculine name. A real, kind of, salt-of-the-earth. You know, a real stick-it-to-you, like it was some kind of Paul. Thompson? Was it a Paul…” Danny huffed, giving up. “Okay. You know what. I got nothin’.”

“Nearly though,” Tressler stated.

“Was I?”

“Yeah. My uncle’s name was Cushman Armitage,” Tressler laughed.

“Really? Snuffles and Cushman Armitage? That was your childhood?”

“I certainly hope tonight’s show is gonna be better than this,” Tressler prayed as the others laughed.

“Don’t worry. Just you wait,” Danny said as they all went back to their seats.

“Still awake, girly?” Merritt said as he spotted Sutton on her phone. Sutton nodded in her lying position as Merritt took the seat Henley once occupied. “I know you don’t want to talk b-“

“Please don’t push,” Sutton begged. “You’ll find out when the time is right.”

“Sutton, I just hate seeing you upset.”

“I know,” Sutton told him, “but it isn’t my place to tell this alone.”

“I know it’s Danny, Sut.”

Sutton looked at him. “It doesn’t matter who, Merritt. I still can’t tell you the truth alone. It’s not right or fair.”

Merritt stared at her for a moment, attempting to read the girl who was once so aspectabund for him. “Since when did you become so hard to read?”

Sutton let out a small giggle, making Merritt smile. “Since you found out Danny tried to kiss me and I may have wanted him to.”

Merritt chuckled. “I liked it better when I could tell exactly what was going on with you.”

“It’s not like you let me read you,” Sutton reminded him with a smile.


	24. Chapter XXIV

After the Horsemen landed in New Orleans, they headed straight for the Savoy Theatre to make sure everything was in order for their next show. Not trusting the stagehands to set everything up correctly, Sutton began placing envelops underneath each chair for her and Merritt’s act after her hair was curled.

“Sutters, give me some,” Jack called as he made his way down the stage.

Sutton eyed him. “Dude, why are you dressed already?”

“Um, why are you not?” he retorted. “Sut, Danny’s going to kill you. He wants everyone dressed by 7:30.”

“My hair is done already,” she pointed out, tussling her red curls. “I just need to get dressed and have Henley do my make-up.”

Jack rolled his eyes, taking the envelops out of her hands. “Sutton, it’s 7 now. What’s with you? You’re, like, the Nazi of time management.”

Sutton sighed, crossing her arms. “I don’t know, Jack. I’m just so preoccupied with other things.”

“Hey, I get it,” Jack told her as he placed the envelops under the seats. “I mean, I keep thinking about what we have to do tomorrow.”

“Yeah, that too,” Sutton muttered. “Jack, can I tell you so-“

“Sutton Sawyer!” Henley yelled as she crossed the stage, hands on her hips. “Get your ass to the dressing room now!”

Jack gave her a smile. “We’ll talk later, Sut.” He gave her a small kiss on the cheek as Henley yelled again.

“I’m coming, mother!”

~~

Dressed in black pants, a white button up shirt, and a black jacket, Sutton made her way once more to the make-up chair where Henley not-so-patiently waited.

“I don’t like to rush my masterpieces,” Henley complained as she applied foundation to Sutton’s face.

“Don’t worry about Danny,” Sutton told her. “Just tell him it was my fault.”

“Oh, Danny doesn’t scare me,” Henley grinned. “Now, shut up. I need to make you look as though you haven’t been on a plane all morning with a headache. By the way, do you feel any better?”

“Well, you could say I’m avoiding the problem area,” Sutton replied.

After twenty minutes had passed, the boys barged into the dressing room.

“Where were you two while Jack and I helped Control Freak here with the tracking bracelets?” Merritt questioned the girls as he flopped down on the couch.

“Sutton decided to skip her time management pills this morning,” Henley explained as she put the finishing touches on Sutton’s lips.

“I’m preoccupied with other things, okay?” Sutton stated, glancing at Danny who looked down at his hands, playing with his fingers.

“Well, don’t worry about those other things right now,” Henley told her. Sutton grimaced at her. “I mean, you’ll be performing which is one of your most favorite things in the world. Let your worries just melt away!”

Sutton giggled. Just then, the announcer’s voice echoed into the dressing room. “Ladies and gentlemen, the Savoy management welcomes you to tonight’s special performance, The Horsemen, Act Two. Unlike traditional performances, The Horsemen encourage you to film, call your friends, upload, stream, and tweet the show freely. Thank you, the show will begin in a few minutes.”

“I guess that’s our cue, huh?” Jack smirked.

“That would be it,” Merritt huffed, heaving himself off the couch and out the door. The others followed.

“Sutton,” Danny said, grabbing her hand. Henley looked back, but Sutton waved at her to keep going. “Sutton, I need to talk to you about earlier today.”

Sutton forced a smile. “Don’t worry about it, Danny. You were right. It was all my idea. I thought you liked being right?”

“I-I do,” Danny stuttered, “but not if it means having you mad at me.”

“I’m not mad,” Sutton confirmed for him as she headed for the stage and took her place beside Merritt.

Danny sighed, wishing so badly to take back what he said to her this morning. Shaking his head, he followed Sutton, taking his place between her and Henley.

“Jack Wilder, Henley Reeves, Merritt McKinney, Sutton Reeves, and Daniel Atlas,” the loud voice announced. “The Horsemen.” Cheers erupted throughout the crowd as the magicians stood under the lights.

“What is magic?” Danny questioned the audience. “Our argument, nothing but targeted deception.”

“So we want you to look,” Sutton took over. “Look as closely as possible. Because the tricks you are about to see may not seem connected, but we assure you, they are.”

“Is what follows 100 different tricks? Or is it one giant illusion?” Danny concluded, his gaze drawing over toward Sutton as the audience once again applauded their opening scene.

Sutton, Merritt, and Jack made their way backstage for Henley and Danny to perform the first act. Sutton picked up the small white rabbit and handed her to Henley.

“Good luck,” Sutton told her.

“You too, sweetie,” Henley called over her shoulder. “And now,” she addressed the audience, “for one of the oldest tricks in the book. Danny, if you wouldn’t mind opening up the box, and showing everybody that it’s completely empty.”

Danny did as instructed as Merritt and Jack giggled. “Danny the assistant,” they sang. Sutton rolled her eyes.

“I’m gonna take sweet little Fluffy here, and put her inside this mystery box,” Henley demonstrated.

“And now, you will say the magic word,” Danny instructed.

“Uh, Abracadabra?”

“Yes, and I will wave this magic wand for no reason,” Danny said as he tossed the wand behind him. Sutton chuckled. “And then, Fluffy has magically vanished before your very eyes.” The crowd gasped.

“And now we are gonna debunk a few magic myths this evening,” Henley explained to the audience. “We all know that Fluffy is, in fact, alive and well.” Danny slowly released the mirror in the box to show the white rabbit. “And Fluffy has miraculously appeared.”

“As has the mirror which makes the box only appear as though it’s empty.” Danny flipped the mirror to show the audience. The crowd rewarded the act with cheers as the two magicians made their way off stage for Merritt’s mass hypnosis act.

“Nice job,” Sutton muttered to Danny as he sipped from a water bottle.

“Thanks,” he grinned, biting the inside of his cheek. He was thankful for her compliment.

“Now, we’re gonna need 12 courageous volunteers,” Merritt began, pointing toward 12 people in the front row. As they finished settling into a line across the stage, Merritt explained, “If you haven’t experienced mass hypnosis, you’re about to.” He made his way to the first person of the line. “And sleep,” he told the volunteer, lightly pulling on their shoulder to get them to lean down in a hypnotic sleep motion. “Down, down. Sleep, sleep. Completely sleep. Good, good. Sleep, sleep.

“Why aren’t you out there with him?” Danny questioned Sutton.

Sutton smirked. “I’m working with Jack tonight.”

Danny choked on his water. “Y-You’re what?”

“When you hear the word “freeze,” you are all football players,” Merritt instructed the 12 volunteers. “And your job is to tackle, dismantle, crush, tear limb from limb, the quarterback. You will know who the quarterback is. He will be the one saying that word. “Freeze.””

“You heard me,” Sutton said as she bit back her smile.

“Put your hands in the middle. One, two, three,” Merritt cheered.

“I-I just didn’t think you were serious when you said that you wanted to perform with Jack,” Danny explained as Merritt’s group chanted, “Kill the quarterback!”

“Get on back to your seats. I got a feeling I’m gonna be seeing you soon.”

“Sutters, we’re on,” Jack interrupted, placing his hand on the small of her back in an effort to push her onto the stage.

Sutton gave Danny a smirk before turning away from him and wrapping an arm around Jack’s waist. She congratulated Merritt on his act as they passed him.

“Who wants to see a pretty awesome magic trick?” Sutton hollered to the crowd, letting Jack go to shuffle his deck of cards. The crowd replied with cheers of excitement.

“There are two pencils out there,” Jack told the audience. “Hold ‘em up high. Let me see ‘em.”

“Here!” a young woman called.

“Yeah!” another woman cried.

“Now, can you pick a card please, beautiful?” Jack asked Sutton as he fanned out the deck.

“Oh, please, Jack,” Sutton huffed. “Flattery won’t get you anywhere.” The crowd roared in laughter as she pulled out her card.

“Show it to your beautiful friend standing there, Sutton,” Jack instructed.

“Wow, you are such a tool,” Sutton joked with him, causing Jack to chuckle. “I’m kidding, ladies. Sweetest man you’ll ever find.” Jack blushed as Sutton showed the crowd her card, the seven of clubs.

“Put it back in the deck, Miss Reeves,” Jack said as he stifled another laugh. Sutton did as instructed. “Now, I’m going to attempt to make Sutton’s card land on the tip of your pencil,” he told one of the young women. Holding the deck of cards out, Jack counted down with the crowd. “Three, two, one.”

Cards went flying and one was struck by the pencil’s sharp point. The woman smiled as the crowd cheered.

“Was that Sutton’s card, miss?” Jack questioned her. The woman nodded.

“That was pretty awesome, huh?” Sutton clapped. “Now for something even better yet.”

“Come on, Sut. You can’t beat that,” Jack joked, giving her a wink.

“Oh, but I can, Jacky,” Sutton smiled. “Who here thinks I can throw a card and slice the other pencil in half?” The crowd cheered their support.

“Awesome, Sutton. You just lied to this whole audience,” Jack picked on her once more. “I think it’s only fair to remind them that you only played soccer.” The audience laughed.

“It’s true. I have no upper arm strength,” Sutton frowned as the audience continued to enjoy their banter. “Let’s just attempt it either way, yeah? Can you hold that pencil out to the side, please, miss?” Sutton requested of the woman. “Perfect.”

Jack began the countdown for Sutton with the audience. On one, she whipped her favorite card, the two of hearts, toward the pencil, expertly slicing it into two equal parts. The woman gasped as the audience cheered.

“Well, I guess I can’t make fun of you anymore!” Jack announced as the two made their way off stage.

“Nice little bit there,” Danny told Jack, narrowing his eyes.

“Um, thanks, I think,” Jack replied, his Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat as he swallowed. Danny patted Jack on the back as they passed one another.

“Ignore him,” Sutton told Jack, rolling her eyes as Danny took the stage. There, he created large, durable bubbles. They floated around the stage creating a fairytale-like atmosphere.

“Shit!” Henley exclaimed from behind her laptop, knocking Sutton out of her trance as she watched Danny.

“Hen, you need to be on stage in like a minute,” Sutton reminded her as she squatted beside her.

“Er, I kind of ran into a problem with Tressler’s banking information,” Henley replied, biting her red lips.

“What?” the three magicians yelled in unison, their greatest fears coming to light.

“It’s fine. I can have it fixed in, like, five minutes. Sutton, go do my act with Danny.”

“Henley, I don’t think that’s a go-“

“Go!”

Sutton quickly made her way on stage, swallowing hard as she stood behind Danny as he made a large bubble for her to fit in.

Danny noticed Sutton, his eyebrows scrunching. “Where’s Henley?” he mouthed.

“Problems,” Sutton mouthed back. Danny nodded, increasing the size of the bubble.

At once, Sutton and Danny ran toward each other. Sutton’s eyes fell closed as she left her outstretched hands touch the bubble, sending her soaring toward the ceiling. In the bubble, she smiled, performing flips for the audience’s enjoyment. Then, a great pop erupted, Sutton’s screams and the audience’s gasps filling the theater.

“I gotcha,” Danny whispered in her ear as she fell into his awaiting arms. He smiled at her as she looked at him with a shocked expression. “You didn’t watch the entire act, did you?”

Sutton shook her head. “I had no idea,” she said, biting her lip as claps and cheers sounded. Danny set her down gently so they could run up to the stage to close their act before intermission.


	25. Chapter XXV

“Hen, did you fix it?” Sutton asked her as she and Danny raced backstage after dismissing the crowd for the intermission, reminding them to fill out their bank balances and seal them in the envelope.

“Oh, um, yeah,” Henley smirked. “I see you didn’t pay close enough attention to mine and Danny’s act during practice, huh?”

Sutton laughed. “Yeah, yeah. It’s funny now that I’m not dead.”

“I wouldn’t have let you fall,” Danny reassured her, placing his hand on the small of her back. Sutton’s smile faded, the touch reminding her of their night together.

“Anyway,” Jack said, noticing Sutton uncomfortably shrinking away from Danny’s touch, “we just need Sutton to press the button on the remote control to activate the change on Tressler’s check.”

Sutton nodded. “It’s foolproof, if you really appreciate the knowledge and skill that went into this whole thing.”

“You kids and your technology today,” Merritt shook his head. “It’s ridiculous what you can do!”

The group laughed as the lights flicked on stage. “Showtime!” Henley smirked.

“At the intermission,” Sutton began as she and Merritt took center stage, “we asked you to write down your current bank balance, seal it in an envelope. Now, it’s time to take those envelopes out. Everyone, take ‘em out.”

“Now, everybody, shout out your name,” Merritt instructed. “All at once. Go.” The audience began shouting, hundreds of names filling the theatre. “Shout ‘em out.”

“Hold it,” Sutton silenced the crowd. “Clement? Frannick?”

“Yeah! Up here!” a man’s voice answered.

“Oh. Way up there!” Merritt confirmed. “Okay. Dina? Robertson?”

“That’s me!” a woman called.

“Okay. Names. Names. Let’s go,” the mentalists ordered in unison.

“Josepha Hickey?” Sutton dramatically questioned.

“That’s me!” a woman answered.

“Josepha, I want you to focus on your balance, and count from one to ten out loud,” Sutton instructed her.

“One, two, three, four, five…”

“Stop,” Merritt spoke. “Is the first digit five?” Josepha confirmed his answer. “Do it again. This time, faster.”

“One, two, three, four, five, six…”

“Stop. Six. Again.”

“One, two…”

“Josepha, is your bank balance $562 as of today?”

“Yeah, that’s what I got,” Josepha embarrassingly said.

“Unfortunately, you’re wrong,” Sutton smiled. “Okay, Dina, um, one, four, seven, seven.”

“Yeah,” Dina nodded.

“You think it is,” Sutton told her, “but in fact, you, too, are wrong.”

“Uh, Clement. You do not have $6,500 in your account,” Merritt told the man in the balcony seats. “In fact, everybody stand up. Everybody. Yeah. Put your envelopes to your forehead. Focus on your number.” The audience did as told.

“Oh, wow,” Sutton cried, rubbing her temples.

“What’s wrong, Sut- Oh, oh,” Merritt whined, rubbing his forehead. “This is… Oh, dear. Just as I feared. Oh, this is strange.”

“You know, I hate to say this, but they’re all wrong, Merritt. You’re all wrong,” Sutton addressed the audience as Danny and Henley took the stage.

“Every last one of you is dead wrong about what you think is in your account. Okay, you can sit down now,” Merritt explained as Danny whispered in his ear. “Oh, oh, yeah. I almost forgot. This evening would not be possible if it weren’t for our great benefactor Arthur Tressler.” The audience and The Horsemen clapped.

“Big applause! Big applause!” Danny said. “Art, actually, why don’t you come up on stage for the finale?”

“Come on down, Art!” the other three magicians on stage ordered.

“There he goes. Okay, good,” Danny admired. “There he goes.”

“Now, Art, did you fill out your envelope?” Henley asked as she pulled Tressler to the center of the stage. Tressler shook his head.

“Well, no need,” Sutton smiled as she wrapped her arm around Tressler’s other arm. “We’ve done it for you.” Jack walked onto the stage with a large envelope.

“Now, Art, I took a guess,” Merritt explained. “North of 140. Am I right?” Tressler smiled a confirmation. “That’s 140 million, by the way.” Merritt chuckled as the audience gasped.

“Um, I’m sorry, Merritt,” Henley apologized as she held the large sheet. “How can he be right about his balance and everyone else be wrong?”

“I think possibly because he, too, is wrong,” Sutton explained as she followed Jack backstage for the remote control and the flashlight.

“Now, everybody, take out your paper,” Merritt instructed the audience. “Using the flashlight under your seat, start to warm up that paper. I think your correct balance begins to appear.”

“Now, Art, don’t worry,” Sutton reassured him as she and Jack came back to the stage, “we have a flashlight for you.”

Jack lifted the flashlight slightly to draw the audience’s attention toward it. As soon as Jack flipped the switch, Sutton pressed the button on the remote control, changing Tressler’s balance.

“Woah!” Danny exclaimed. “Look.”

“What’s going on there, Daniel?” Merritt asked the illusionist.

“Wait. This is weird. A second ago, it said $144,579,651. But now. Now it says $70,000 less.”

“Now, Josepha, can you stand up?” Sutton asked the woman as she took her place beside Danny. “Now, what is your new number?”

“$70,562 now in my account!” the woman exclaimed.

“Is it possible that Josepha’s balance went up the exact amount that Art’s went down?” Henley questioned the mentalists.

“Hey. Check it out,” Jack told the team. “It’s happening again.”

“Is it?” Danny questioned, bending down slightly to look at the balance. In his movement, his hand knocked against Sutton’s, causing the young mentalist to travel back toward Jack

“Wow. It is!” Henley exclaimed as Danny looked back at Sutton who helped Jack with the flashlight, their hands wrapped around one another’s. A lump formed in the illusionist’s throat as the escape artist continued. “Art’s balance has gone down another 280K.”

“Dina Robertson? What did yours say?” Merritt asked.

The woman gasped. “$281,477.”

Sutton and Jack set the flashlight down, walking to the front of the stage with the others as Henley announced, “We have a confession to make.”

“She’s right,” Jack confirmed. “We lied about something.”

“Yes, none of you were chosen at random,” Danny admitted.

“All of you have one thing in common,” Sutton stated.

“Everyone in this room was a victim of the hard times that hit one of America’s most treasured cities,” Henley explained.

“Some of you lost your houses, your cars,” Merritt reminded them.

“Your businesses,” Jack added.

“Your loved ones,” Danny pressed further, glancing over at Sutton as she stood next to her cousin. For a brief moment, their eyes met.

“But all of you were insured by the same company,” Sutton told the audience. 

“Tressler Insurance!” The Horsemen blurted in unison, pointing accusingly at their benefactor. The audience members gasped.

“You were abandoned.”

“You were loopholed…”

“…out of your settlements.”

“This is all for show. Correct?” Tressler confronted the girls.

“”All” meaning we’re doing it onstage in front of a paying audience?” Henley whispered.

“Then yes, it’s for show,” Sutton finished with a smile.

“Whoa! Whoa!” a man’s voice echoed. “I’ve got $82,000 in my bank account! It says it right here on my cell phone! Everybody, look at your cell phones right now! Everybody!” The audience cheered in excitement as they did as the man instructed.

“Hey! Did you do this?” Tressler accused Merritt.

“How could we, Art?” Jack asked. “We don’t have your password.”

“We’d need access to information we could never get our hands on,” Henley winked.

Danny smirked. “Ah, yes, security questions, for instance, like, I don’t know, your mother’s maiden name or-“

“Or the name of your first pet,” Sutton popped in.

“Where would we get that information, Art?” Merritt smiled. “You certainly would never tell us.” Tressler lunged for Merritt, only to find that he was frozen in place by a chain wrapped around his ankle. “Hey, we left you the jet and the Rolls.”

Shouts erupted from the audience as Merritt high fived the girls, taking his spot on the rope.

“Stop! Stop! Nobody move!” Agent Rhodes yelled. Danny waved at him as the agent fell into Merritt’s trap. “Freeze!”

“Quarterback!” the 12 courageous volunteers roared.

“We are The Horsemen!” The Horsemen called to the audience. “Goodnight!” As they were lifted to safety, Agent Rhodes was swallowed up by the hypnotized football players.


	26. Chapter XXVI

Together, the Horsemen ran out of the building and down a fire escape. Jack and Sutton led the way across a rooftop and over a wall. There, the five parted ways. Merritt and Henley ran for the abandoned apartment building 20 minutes away from the Savoy Theatre, but not without Henley giving Sutton a kiss on the cheek, the two promising to see each other soon. Jack ran to change into his police uniform to drop off the tracker in Agent Rhodes’s jacket. Danny and Sutton sprinted to keep the FBI away, taking the long way to the abandoned apartment.

“Danny, hurry,” Sutton yelled behind her. “We can lose her through the crowd maybe.”

Danny, the control freak himself, only nodded, allowing Sutton to lead him. They ran through the crowd of Mardi Gras celebrators. Sutton bounced off people easier than she could push past them until Danny moved in front of her to clear a path.

“Seriously?” Sutton exclaimed as she caught a glimpse of Jack in the crowd. “Do you have manners?”

“Not when I’m about to be arrested,” Danny retorted as he turned down an alley, the Interpol agent following close behind.

“Sutton Reeves and Atlas are heading south on Exchange Place,” Agent Rhodes yelled into his walkie talkie as he joined the party.

“We gotta hop the wall,” Sutton breathlessly told Danny. He took a moment to memorize her complexion- rosy red cheeks from the night air, running, and frustration; sparkling green eyes filled with excitement and fear.

“Let’s go!” Sutton’s voice echoed, knocking Danny from his thoughts. Together, they pulled themselves up the wall.

“Stop!” Interpol agent Alma Dray exclaimed.

The mentalist and illusionist stood side-by-side on top of the wall held at gunpoint. The agent stared at the two, their hands raised in surrender. She took a few shortened breaths before Danny grabbed Sutton’s hand, the two jumping down the wall to safety.

“What are you doing?” Agent Rhodes scolded as the magicians made their getaway.

“Run around the Napoleon House, just like we mapped out,” Sutton instructed Danny. “The others aren’t far from here.”

Danny nodded, once again not believing his own actions. He flew to the right of the building, taking another alley.

“Catch a breath, Danny,” Sutton told him as they slowly came to a stop. Together, they panted behind a large dumpster smelling of rotting food.

“Can we make this quick?” Danny questioned her. “This smell is just-“

“Yeah, let’s go,” Sutton gagged as they once again took off.

“Oh, my God!” Henley exclaimed as Danny and Sutton burst through the apartment door. She pulled Sutton into a tight hug, knocking Danny out of the way.

“Danny, what took you so long?” Jack questioned him.

Danny rolled his eyes. “That Interpol agent held us at gunpoint.”

“She what?” Merritt exclaimed. “Are you guys okay?”

“We’re fine,” Sutton explained as she escaped Henley’s hold. She sat down on the cloth-covered couch followed by Danny to rest. “She didn’t have the guts to shoot us, I guess.”

“I hate to break this to you after all the running around you’ve done,” Merritt stated, “but we gotta get to that airport. We leave in 30 minutes.”

Danny let out a long sigh. “It’s already midnight?”

Jack nodded. “You’ve been running for, like, 45 minutes. You guys took the long route.”

“Well, someone had to,” Sutton muttered.

Henley chuckled. “Rest, guys. We’ll get changed awhile and then you can.”

The couple on the couch nodded as the others walked up the stairs to find the bags Jack took to the apartment during his run after the Horsemen were dropped off at the Savoy Theatre. Against her better judgement, Sutton lied her head down on the arm of the couch, a sigh of relief leaving her body. Danny chuckled, pulling Sutton’s feet onto his lap.

“What are you doing?” Sutton questioned as he began to remove her ballet flats.

“These shoes aren’t good for running,” Danny commented.

Sutton rolled her eyes. “Yeah, but my feet stink.”

Danny laughed. “Actually, they don’t.” He pushed up her pants leg to remove her dress socks, only to be stopped by the silver and rose gold piece of jewelry wrapped around her ankle. He swallowed, his fingers gently tracing over the small penguin. “Y-You still wear this?”

Sutton sat up on her elbows, a slight blush covering her cheeks once more. “We had an argument, Danny. I’m going to take that out on you, not your gift.”

Although it wasn’t exactly what he hoped to hear, Danny still smiled. “So, you are mad at me?”

Sutton huffed, sitting up and wrapping her legs into a crisscrossed position. “I have no reason to be mad at you, Danny. I should be mad at myself.”

Danny positioned his body toward her. “It isn’t your fault. We both agreed to it.”

“I know, Danny, but that doesn’t mean, on some level, that I didn’t, you know, feel something.”

“You-You did?” Danny questioned, his eyes growing wide.

Sutton nodded. “But, that doesn’t matter. We have a plan to stick to and us being together isn’t part of it.” She rose from the couch, making her way for the stairs.

“Sutton,” Danny called in an effort to stop her, “I-I, um, I-“

“Hey, you guys better get ready,” Jack told them as he made his way down the stairs. “Henley’s waiting for you, Sut.”

Sutton nodded, giving Danny a last look before finding Henley.

“Hey, beautiful,” Henley smiled as she finished applying her makeup. “I packed you a Nike hoodie, black tank top, boyfriend jeans, and your black sneakers. I figured you would want comfortable shoes after running all night.”

“You guessed right,” Sutton told her as she began to take out her contacts. She quickly changed into her new outfit while Henley sat on the bed and folded and packed the old one. Slipping on her glasses, Sutton turned to Henley and confronted her. “You lied to me tonight.”

Henley’s eyes grew wide. “W-What are you talking about?”

Sutton smiled. “Hen, I know you weren’t stuck on Tressler’s bank information. You’re too good with technology to have run into a problem.”

Henley bit her red lip, nodding. “I’m sorry. I just wasn’t feeling well enough to do it. I knew if I told you, you would worry. You know, with us running and whatnot.”

Sutton nodded. “Just as long as you haven’t lost your skills,” she winked.

Henley gave a light chuckle. “So, are you going to tell me what was going on with you and Danny?”

“W-What?” the younger girl stuttered, the blush once again threatening her cheeks.

“When you fell from the bubble, I saw the way you looked at him.”

Sutton gave a small sigh of relief. “Hen, I was scared I was going to fall. Of course I looked at him in surprise.”

“Who said anything about looking at him in surprise?” the escape artist smirked. “You looked at him more like you were grateful to be in his arms.”

“I-I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Sutton said, pretending to search for something in her bag.

Henley smiled, placing a hand on Sutton’s. “You know I love you, right?”

“Of course.”

“Then, I want you to be careful.”

“Of?”

“Just, promise me you’ll be on your toes. You know, to protect your heart.”

“Promise,” Sutton said with a smile to cover up the lump in her throat as she lied to her cousin.


	27. Chapter XXVII

When the Horsemen arrived at the airport, they made their way to a private hanger. Merritt hypnotized the pilot to take them to an airport in New York City. On the way there, the team slept, except for Danny. He was still running on adrenaline and Sutton’s words.

“That doesn’t mean, on some level, that I didn’t, you know, feel something. But, that doesn’t matter. We have a plan to stick to and us being together isn’t part of it,” Sutton had said.

Her words replayed over and over again in Danny’s head as he fiddled with a coin between his fingers. Sutton felt something for him, and he lost his chance to tell her how he really felt. When this plane landed, they would be rushing, on the run once more, then she would be gone with Jack. He would not get the chance to tell her in time.

Danny huffed, heaving himself out of his seat and to where Sutton laid. Her curls had begun to fall flat and into their natural wavy form that Danny fell hard for. Sutton shifted, a few curls falling over her slightly-parted lips. Danny smiled, pushing the loose stands behind her head. He drew his forefinger across his lower lip, remember all the times she had bit it, wondering how there was not a small bite mark permanently slated in the flesh.

“Daniel,” a voice spoke, making Danny jump out of his skin. “Shit, don’t rock the plane.”

Danny turned to see Merritt, stretching as he awoke. “W-What are you doing up?”

“I felt someone after my baby girl,” Merritt smirked and Danny rolled his eyes. “No, I just woke up on my own.” He patted the seat beside him. “Come here, Atlas.”

Reluctantly, Danny made his way over toward Merritt. He sat with a long sigh. “I don’t want a psychological session.”

“Good because you don’t have enough to pay me,” Merritt joked, hitting Danny’s back lightly. “I want to talk about Sutton.”

“T-That’s not a good idea.” Danny shook his head, looking down at his folded hands.

“I know something happened between the two of you, Daniel.” Danny flung his head up to look at Merritt. “She didn’t tell me the exact truth, though.”

Danny scoffed. “Aren’t you supposed to be a mentalist?”

“Don’t hate the talent, Daniel. She’s built up her walls in an attempt to block me out of her thoughts.” The two stared at the young mentalist who shifted once again in her sleep. “I’m surprised she’s even sleeping without Scooby. She loves that stuffed animal.”

Danny chuckled. “She looks so, so-“

“Innocent?” Merritt finished with a questioning look. Danny nodded. “That’s because she is. I’ve learned so much about Sutton over the past year, and one thing is that she doesn’t go into a situation without feelings.”

Danny swallowed, his throat growing dry. He licked his lips and tussled his hair. “I-I don’t know what to say.”

“You do,” Merritt confirmed for him. “You know she went into that night with more than just sexual frustration, and so did you.”

“H-How did you-“

“You don’t know how to hide your emotions like a mentalist does. It’s written all over your face,” Merritt smirked. “Look, I won’t tell Henley, or even Jack, that you slept together. It’s not my place, right? Just know that that night was much more than just sex for Sutton.”

Danny sighed. “Yeah, she just told me this morning.”

“And, what? You neglected to see it that night?” Merritt angerly asked. “God, you’re an idiot.”

Danny sat and thought about his colleague’s words. He bit his cheek in hopes of the pain taking over all his other emotions. In the end, he couldn’t deny it. “It was there,” he spoke. Merritt cocked his head to the side. “That night, in her eyes, I should have known. Her emotions are always in her eyes. She-She wanted that night for more than just sex. She wants to be with me, Merritt?” he questioned the mentalist.

Merritt gave him a small smile. “Like I said, she built her walls up from me to protect your secret. I can tell you, though, that I’m 95 percent sure that she still wants to be with you.”

Danny smiled to himself, but it quickly faded as he remembered what would happen today. “I lost my chance with her, though. I mean, after this plane lands, we won’t have any time to really talk. She’ll be gone with Jack until we meet them in Central Park.”

“You’ll find time after this.” Merritt shook his head. “What better way to end this crazy heist, huh?” He hit Danny on the back one last time before standing and making his way to the cockpit to check on the pilot.

Danny sat and thought once more about Sutton. How could he tell her? He wasn’t good with his feelings. Did he want to be “tied down,” so to speak?

“Wake up, kiddos!” Merritt exclaimed as he made his way back to the Horsemen. Sutton and Henley sat up quickly, their eyes wide. Jack still snored away in his seat. “Yo, Jacky!” Merritt yelled, hitting his head.

Jack’s eyes flew open. “Was that necessary?”

“You really gotta work out your snoring issue,” Merritt told him, the team erupting in laughter.

~~

After the plane landed, Merritt told the pilot to fly back to his hanger, only waking from his trance when someone spoke to him. The team caught a taxi to their apartment 30 minutes away, riding in almost complete silence. When they arrived at the apartment, Sutton quickly threw two frozen pizzas in the oven. It was already five in the morning.

“I miss homemade food,” Jack frowned as he ate his fourth piece of pizza.

Merritt burped. “Be more specific, Jack. You miss Sutton’s homemade food. Henley’s homemade food tastes like-“

“Tastes like what, Merritt?” Henley interrupted.

“L-Like rainbows and unicorns!” the mentalist stuttered.

Henley rolled her eyes. “You’re so full of shit.”

Sutton threw her napkin down on her plate. “Alright, Jack and I gotta get to the morgue. We’ll be back within an hour.”

Danny nodded. “We’ll start printing off the money here and deleting any files, just in case they somehow get ahold of your laptop.”

Sutton let out a sigh. “Jackers, let’s go.”

Jack let out a burp before following Sutton to her room to change into nursing scrubs. Within minutes, they were out the door and on their way to steal two dead bodies.


	28. Chapter XXVIII

Soon after Sutton and Jack left, Henley’s fingers were flying across the keyboard of the desktop computer, the printer rolling off sheets of fake money as fast as it could. Danny and Merritt stood at the end of it, cutting each sheet with a paper trimmer and stuffing the fake money into backpacks.

“Hey, Henley,” Merritt spoke up, a smirk growing across his face. “Do you happen to own a pair of nursing scrubs?”

“Seriously, Merritt?” Danny scolded.

“Calm down, grumpy cat,” Merritt joked.

Henley chuckled. “Actually, I do. They had a “buy one, get one” deal when we bought Sutton’s.”

Merritt perked up. “Mind trying it on sometime for us?”

“When you say us, you mean you, right?” Danny scoffed.

“What’s wrong, Danny?” Henley laughed. “Don’t you want to play nurse with me?” she winked.

Merritt let out a loud fit of laughter. Danny shot him a hard glance, threatening to shut him up permanently.

“The bodies are in the car,” Jack announced as him and Sutton burst through the door. “And they don’t look too bad, if I may say so myself.”

Sutton rolled her eyes. “He literally looked for five minutes to find a woman’s body with small boobs to make her “look more authentic.””

Henley snorted. “You didn’t!”

“Hey, how is the FBI going to believe Sutton’s dead if the woman’s boobs are four times that size?” he pointed out, making sure to draw everyone’s attention to Sutton’s chest.

“They aren’t small,” Merritt said as he pretended to grab Sutton’s breast from five feet away. Sutton blushed as Danny glared sharply at Merritt once more, cursing the male mentalist in his mind.

“Can you be any more inappropriate?” Henley commented, rolling her eyes.

Clearing his throat, Danny asked, “Can we go over the plan one more time?” The others groaned.

“No, he’s right. We better,” Sutton said. “Jack and I act as a distraction long enough for you all to get on the road.”

“Once we’re on the road, I need to be on the lookout for Jack and Sutton in the car,” Merritt continued.

“After Merritt cuts the fake car loose, Sutton and I head for the abandoned apartment in Queens,” Jack nodded.

“The three of us go to the warehouse to drop the mirrors down to hide the vault,” Henley added. “Then, we head for 5 Pointz to create the video.”

“When Jack and I see the video is posted, we head in to steal the money and plot it in Thaddeus’s car,” Sutton smirked. “We head straight for Central Park after that.”

Danny nodded. “After our performance, we’ll meet you there.”

The Horsemen stood there in silence for a moment, taking it all in. There was an unspoken understanding between the five members, each one praying that they would see the others in Central Park that night. Henley was the first to move, pulling Sutton toward her bedroom.

“Sit, sweetie,” Henley demanded, gesturing toward her bed. Sutton obeyed, the scrubs letting out a ‘huff’ as she sat. Henley paced in front of her, biting the edge of her thumbnail.

“Hen, what are you doing?” Sutton questioned her older cousin. “I mean, you never bite your nails, or even touch your teeth with a finger.”

Henley sighed. “I’m worried, Sut. I don’t know if I can handle this anymore.”

Sutton’s eyes grew wide. “What are you talking about? You helped us steal money from a Paris bank. You routed money from Tressler’s bank account to people who deserved the money.”

“But that didn’t threaten your life, Sutton!” Henley blurted, her arms extending to grab Sutton’s shoulders. She sighed, bringing Sutton into a standing hug.

Sutton wrapped her arms around Henley’s waist, not sure how to react. That was until she felt her shoulder become wet and heard Henley sobbing. “Oh, Hen. Don’t, please.”

“I promised you I would always take care of you,” Henley reminded Sutton, her voice raspy. She pulled away from her cousin, brushing at her eye makeup that had smeared slightly. “When I asked you to start performing with me, I told you I would never let anyone, or anything, tear us apart. Now, I’m letting this stupid plan to get into The Eye do exactly that.”

“Henley, it’s not like that.”

“But, Sutton, it is! You could die, Sutton, and you aren’t even scared.”

Sutton’s mouth fell open, then closed quickly. She did not really think about the consequences of this plan going wrong. Her and Jack could be caught by the FBI and end up in prison. Worse yet, Jack could crash in their getaway. Instead of saying anything that may frighten Henley more, Sutton replied, “You’ll just need to trust that Jack is taking care of me.”

Henley gave a throaty laugh. “I’m not sure how to take that.”

“Henley!” Sutton giggled, hitting her cousin lightly

Henley laughed, sniffling. “I love you so much, Sut.”

Sutton closed her eyes, savoring the scent of Henley’s perfume one last time. “I love you, Hen.”

They stood there for a minute, just hanging onto one another for as long as they could. When a knock at the door sounded, Henley told whoever it was to come in.

“Hey, sorry, girls,” Jack apologized, already changed from the scrubs. “Sut, you gotta get changed. Danny wants us all to help pack the documents and delete files from the desktop computers.”

The girls separated, letting out long sighs. “I’ll get changed,” Sutton said, moving past Jack and to her bedroom.

“Jack,” Henley spoke up as the pickpocket turned to leave the room, “can I ask you something?”

“Of course, Henley,” Jack said, moving closer to her.

Henley sighed. “Take care of her, please. I know I haven’t asked much of you before, but I need you to make sure she is okay. Make sure the FBI doesn’t hurt her.”

“You got it, Henley,” Jack smiled. “You have my word that Sutton will be taken care of. I won’t let them touch her. Even if they do, I’m pretty sure she’ll break their hands.”

Henley chuckled. “I know she will. Drive safe, Jack.”

Jack nodded, leaving the bedroom.

 


	29. Chapter XXIX

Emerging from her bedroom in blue skinny jeans, a brown leather jacket, grey tank top, and black sneakers, Sutton smiled to herself as she saw the others working diligently. Danny stood in the middle of the room, fidgeting with his cell phone. Suddenly, he threw the phone to the ground, stomping on it, knocking Sutton’s smile into a frightful mess.

“The firewall’s down,” Henley yelled from the desktop computers as Danny picked the phone up, examining it to make sure it truly was destroyed. “Do they know about this?”

“”They” who?” Danny asked as he picked through a pile of documents.

“”They,” “them,” whoever we’re working for.”

“Who are we working for?” Sutton threw the comment out as she and Jack scrabbled to pick up a pile of documents. Jack’s tarot card lay under them. Sutton gave him a compassionate look as her best friend stood back, swallowing hard as he repeated, “death” in his head again and again. Sutton grabbed his hand, squeezing it to bring him back to life.

“And are we prepared to do to jail for them?” Merritt added as he gathered more documents.

“Okay, stop being paranoid,” Danny instructed them all.

“It really does happen,” Merritt retorted.

“Yeah, it happened to you,” Danny threw back. “It doesn’t mean it’s gonna happen to us.” He bumped into Sutton’s shoulder as he pushed more documents into Jack’s hands.

“Guys, I don’t know if I can do this, all right,” Jack spoke up, fear in his voice. “I don’t wanna go to jail, you know?”

“Then don’t screw up,” Danny told him.

“Danny,” Sutton muttered, strands of her red hair falling into her face as she looked down.

Danny took a quick glance at her, yet continued to lecture Jack. “You’re always talking about wanting to be treated like an adult. Now might be a good time to start acting like one. Stick to the plan. Stay here and burn it all.”

Sutton sighed. “Danny, stop acting like a-“

“Like a what, Sutton?” Danny said as he turned around quickly on his heel.

“Like an ass!” Sutton exclaimed, annoyed with his demeanor. Everyone looked at the two.

Danny’s eyes grew wide at her tone of voice. He swallowed hard, staring straight into her eyes. He wished so desperately that he could read them, but Merritt was right; she had built her walls up, even from Danny himself.

“You’re just mad that you can’t control what is happening right now,” Sutton continued. “Don’t take this all out on Jack. He and I will get this done better than you would.”

Danny swallowed his angry comment back down his throat, knowing better than to push Sutton over the edge any further. Instead, he let his true thoughts talk, the ones that had been haunting him for some time now. “You’re not staying here,” he told Sutton, grabbing her hand and drawing her close to him.

“Like hell I’m not!” Sutton retorted, ripping her hand out of his grasp. “Jack is my best friend, and the plan specifically says, “Jack and Sutton stay behind and burn the documents.” You can’t go against the plan, right, Danny? That’s what you’ve said all along. “Stick to the plan.””

Sutton was fuming, and Danny knew it. Her words were out of frustration with him, both now and in the past, but he couldn’t help but take them to heart. The two stared at one another, their faces only inches apart, fixated in a battle filled with the emotions that threatened their hearts.

“I don’t know what I’m doing here,” Merritt spoke, drawing the attention away from Danny and Sutton.

“I don’t know what you would do anywhere else,” Danny yelled as he turned sharply away from Sutton.

“I’m here for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow,” Merritt explained. “That’s it. Then I’m gone.”

Sutton squealed, tears quickly filling her eyes. Jack wrapped her into a tight hug as Merritt threw more documents onto the pile.

“You can do whatever you want when this is over, Merritt, but until then, you stick to the plan,” Henley reminding him, her eyes filled with anger toward the mentalist.

“Hey, guys,” Danny mumbled into the metal blinds. “Uh, they’re here.”

“Start burning the papers, Jack,” Sutton instructed her best friend as he lit the fire. Sutton began passing him handfuls of lengthy documents which her and Danny had mulled over each step of the way, hours of work turning into nothing but ashes and smoke.

“You are not staying here, Sutton,” Danny spoke through gritted teeth once more as he grabbed the last of the money bags. He placed his hand over hers as she grabbed for more documents.

Sutton felt the familiar spark pulse through her but this was not the time for it. She quickly ripped her hand away, passing Jack a large pile. She looked Danny in the eye, reading his icy blue eyes for what was really in them. He was scared, but scared of what? She leaned in close to him, close enough to make everyone question their relationship, but they didn’t. “Go, Danny,” she whispered. “I’ll see you soon.”

Danny stared at her as Sutton leaned away from him and handed Jack more documents. His mouth fell open to speak but he had no time before Merritt grabbed his backpack, pulling him along.

“Okay,” Merritt announced. “Let’s do it.” With that, they were gone.

“It’s going to be okay,” Sutton reminded Jack -and herself- as they sat near the fireplace, throwing in documents as soon as others were burned.

Jack nodded, a look of terror still in his eyes. “I don’t want you to get hurt, Sut.”

Sutton smiled lightly. “I won’t, Jack.” She leaned over and gave him a small kiss on the cheek.

Jack blushed. “Even though we do that all the time, this time feels different.”

“Probably because we were never in a “fight or flight” situation before,” Sutton giggled. Just then, the door creaked opened to the apartment.

The two looked at one another, quickly and quietly stacking their bodies on top of the bookshelf. As Agent Rhodes made his way into the room, distracted by the replicas of the buildings Sutton had made, they snuck into the kitchen, only to see that Agent Fuller was there.

Jack placed a finger to his lips, tiptoeing over to the sink and grabbing a wet rag. He skillfully shoved the rag into Fuller’s mouth as soon as he noticed Sutton, silencing him as Jack yanked the agent’s jacket down to his wrists. Pulling him to the sink, Jack turned on the garbage disposal.

Sutton cringed even though she knew it wouldn’t hurt the FBI agent. She heard Agent Rhodes coming, so Sutton grabbed Fuller’s belt, whipping around and wrapping the accessory around the gun he held. By pure mistake, the gun hit Agent Fuller’s groin. Jack punched Rhodes as Sutton swung the belt to slap Fuller. Rhodes attempted to grab Jack, only to be pushed into the refrigerator. As the duo escaped, Fuller called for his partner, only being told to hold on.

“Go in the corner,” Jack instructed Sutton.

Unlike with Danny, Sutton obeyed. She watched as her best friend fought off the agent, eventually handcuffing his legs. Jack stripped Rhodes’s walkie talkie from him just as another voice came over the speaker.

“Five is clear. Standing by for six,” the voice reported.

“You little shit!” Rhodes exclaimed, not once noticing Sutton in the corner near the door.

“You little shit!” Jack repeated.

“What game ya playing?”

“What game ya playing?” Jack mimicked, sounding exactly like the FBI agent. Sutton smiled, wanting to applaud Jack for his secret talent. “We’re all good at six. Move to seven,” Jack replied to the unit outside the door.

“Copy that,” the unit responded. “Going to seven. Go, go, go!” echoed voices outside the apartment.

Jack threw Sutton the walkie talkie. She threw it in the fire, the electronic burning with a zap. Noticing the most important of the papers, Sutton slid across the floor to grab it, stuffing it inside her jacket. She moved in enough time for Jack to throw flash paper at the FBI agent. Again, Sutton watched as Jack’s many talents were revealed, amazed by all the he could do.

“Sutton, go!” Jack yelled as he jumped from out of nowhere. As he ran toward her, Rhodes knocked him down.

“Jack!” Sutton screamed, running for her best friend. Noticing the pile of playing cards scattered on the ground, Sutton hastily collected them and handed Jack a pile.

“Come here!” Rhodes yelled at the two who attempted to back up.

“All right, hey! Hold on, hold on!” Jack and Sutton requested, the two flashing him their cards.

Agent Rhodes looked at them like they were complete idiots. “Really?”

“Yup,” the two responded, flinging the cards at his face as he screamed in pain. They each threw a card at Agent Fuller for good measure.

“Talk about a paper cut!” Sutton laughed. She grabbed her backpack with her laptop off the couch, flinging it over her shoulder as Jack pulled on her hand.

“You little…” Rhodes hissed as Jack and Sutton made their escape from the apartment.

~~

As Danny, Henley, and Merritt were piling into the taxi, they heard loud shouts from their apartment. Henley looked up at the windows before being pushed into the taxi by Merritt.

“They’ll be fine,” Merritt reminded Henley as he closed the door.

“What do you care?” Henley hissed as Danny rattled off the location to the parking garage.

Merritt looked at her hurt, although he knew he deserved it. “Henley, I didn’t mean what I said in the apartment. It’s just, all these emotions are coming up and, well, we’re all a little on edge.”

Danny glanced back at the two, thinking about how he treated Sutton. He should have kissed her when he had the chance, in front of everyone, just to show her how much he really cared.

“Well, your little stunt hurt Sutton, if you didn’t notice,” Henley recalled.

Merritt’s face distorted into a look of shame. He removed his fedora. “I know. I owe her the biggest apology.” Henley snorted. “She’s the daughter I never had, Henley, for the record.”

Henley closed her eyes as she attempted to calm herself down. “Why didn’t you tell her that?”

“I’m not good with that emotional crap,” Merritt smirked. “I mean, look at Atlas. He’s rubbing off on me.”

Danny looked back at him, slightly grinning. For once, he appreciated the mentalist’s joke.

The taxi pulled up to the parking garage, and the three Horsemen rushed out, quickly making their way for their vehicles. They changed into their outfits for the adventure ahead of them, merging onto the road.

 


	30. Chapter XXX

Jack pulled Sutton to the garbage shoot, pushing her in first. The sound of skin and shoes screeching against mental echoed through the shoot, piercing the young magicians’ ears. Jack looked up, noticing Agent Rhodes on their tails.

“Hurry, Sutton!” Jack cried.

Sutton released her hands and feet from the edges of the garbage shoot, flying down and out. Jack followed seconds after, Agent Rhodes tumbling onto him.

“Jack, the paper!” Sutton hollered, noticing it sitting atop a couch cushion. It must have fallen out of her jacket when she landed.

Jack scrambled for the paper just as Rhodes attempted to slide for it. Rhodes cried out in pain as Jack stepped on the agent’s back to make his getaway. He grabbed Sutton’s hand, leading her through the alley and down another set of stairs, Agent Rhodes hurrying behind them. The duo ran through a building, Sutton leading the way out as Jack knocked things into Rhodes’s path. Outside, Sutton and Jack attempted to look natural, their heads down.

“Hey!” a FBI agent yelled, grabbing Jack’s shoulder.

“Get in the car!” Jack instructed Sutton as he fought and handcuffed the men. Sutton started the engine as Jack made his way around the front, getting into the driver’s side. “Safety first,” he attempted to joke with Sutton as he threw on his seatbelt.

Sutton rolled her eyes. “Just drive, Jack.” With that, Jack was off. Sutton looked back, seeing the Interpol agent and Agent Rhodes behind them. “Jack, they’re following us.”

“We’ll lose ‘em for a second,” Jack told her as he turned sharply down a street, maneuvering around a tractor trailer truck.

“Okay, you’re way of losing them is near death,” Sutton yelled at him as she gripped the hand rail tighter.

Despite their situation, Jack chuckled. “I think this whole plan is near death.”

The two flew onto the highway, Jack jumping the barrier of the merging lane. Again, Sutton looked back, noticing this time it was Agent Fuller behind them.

“The bridge is coming up,” Jack reminded Sutton as he cut off a number of cars. “This is it.”

“That’s Danny!” Sutton informed Jack as they passed a taxi. “And Henley!”

“And here’s Merritt,” Jack smiled, seeing the fake car attached to the front of the bus. He quickly merged in front of the bus. The couple watched in their side mirrors as Merritt released the car. Seconds later, it hurled into the cement barrier.

Jack let out a loud laugh, his childish grin covering his face. “I can’t believe this worked!”

Sutton let out an exhausted sigh of relief, the complete opposite of Jack’s reaction. “I can’t believe we just did that.”

“I promise my driving isn’t always that bad,” Jack smirked, reaching for Sutton’s hand in an effort to calm her down.

Sutton looked over at Jack, giving him a smile. Jack returned it, bringing her hand up to his lips to give it a reassuring kiss. It was meant as a friendly gesture, but it was that action that made something go off in Sutton’s head. “Jack, we need to talk.”

Jack looked over at her, concern filling his eyes. “About?”

“Danny,” Sutton choked out, watching Jack’s eyes cloud in a bit of anger. With that, he floored it, making a 30 minute drive only 20 minutes long.

~~

“Let’s make this quick,” Danny told Merritt and Henley as they emerged from their vehicles, each quickly stripping off their jackets to reveal matching jumpsuits.

“These outfits are hideous,” Henley cringed. “This is the last time I let you buy me clothing.”

Danny rolled his eyes, popping the trunk of his car to reveal bags of balloon animals. “Just shut up and stuff these in the fake safe, okay?”

“Someone’s a bit touchy,” Merritt joked, grabbing the bags and heading for the warehouse.

“I am not!” Danny attempted to fire back, his voice cracking.

“Whoa, what’s wrong, Danny?” Henley commented as she stuffed the balloons inside.

Danny rubbed his throat. “N-Nothing,” he stuttered, avoiding any eye contact with the others until he had his emotions in line.

The team broke into the warehouse with ease. Danny pulled the remote control from his pocket, allowing the giant mirror to cover the real vault. The room appeared to look just like a giant rabbit box. Danny smirked, silently applauding the master behind the trick. “It’s actually pretty brilliant,” he admitted as he turned toward the others.

“Gotta give ‘em credit,” Merritt nodded, looking down at his watch. “Welp, if my timing is correct, the FBI will be here in about, oh, ten minutes.”

“I guess we better get to 5 Pointz,” Henley sighed, wishing Sutton was with her.

~~

Neither one spoke a word as Jack led the way into the abandoned warehouse just minutes from the one that held the safe full of money. Sutton followed behind him like a little girl who had just been scolded by her father, fearing that any moment Jack may explode.

Jack opened the door, holding it open for Sutton. “Sit,” he commanded, pointing toward the floor beside the equipment they would be using later.

Sutton did as she was told, folding her legs underneath her. Not once did she make any eye contact with Jack. He cleared his throat as he began to mimic FBI Agent Evans, demanding that the safe be moved from the warehouse in Queens to 5 Pointz.

Sutton sat and contemplated what to say to Jack until the floorboards shifted as he took a seat on the far edge opposite from her. “Talk.”

Sutton swallowed. “I-I wanted to tell you back before the second show,” she admitted. “Remember? You said we could talk, well, now.” She looked up at Jack through her lashes, seeing him nod slightly as he pinched his bottom lip between his thumb and index finger. “Um, Danny and I, we kind of, sort of-“

“You fucked?” Jack blurted, his stare still hard on an inanimate object in front of him.

“I-It wasn’t like that, Jack,” Sutton stuttered, reaching for Jack’s arm to force him to look at her.

He flung from her hold, standing up. “I can’t believe you, Sutton,” Jack scolded her. “You know the kind of person that he is.”

Sutton felt tears starting to form at the corners of her eyes. “Jack, he’s not like that.”

“Oh, yeah, Sut. Danny is a real gentleman. When was the last time he had a serious girlfriend? Oh, that’s right. Never because he only does one-night stands!” Jack paced the room, his hands ruffling through his hair.

“Jack, please just listen to me!” Sutton cried, tears streaming down her cheeks. She sobbed heavily, anxiety taking over her as she felt her heart breaking.

Jack’s head flung up when he heard Sutton’s breathing pick up in pace. His demeanor changed quickly, moving back toward his best friend. “No, Sut, please. I didn’t mean for you to cry like this. Please stop,” he attempted to sooth her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

Sutton cried into the crook of Jack’s neck as he rocked her back and forth, the sobs becoming louder. “I don’t know what I was thinking,” she wailed, her breathing sounding like harsh gusts of wind.

Jack shushed her, asking her to not speak but to breathe in and out slowly. He would listen when she relaxed. 25 minutes and two packs of travel-sized tissue packs later, Sutton sniffled one last time.

“Ready?” Jack asked her as he slowly released his hold.

Sutton nodded, breathing in deeply. “It happened after our first show in Las Vegas,” she began to explain. Jack stared at her intently as she continued. “After you all left, I really did shower, and so did Danny. We were going to watch a movie and eat popcorn when I got this stupid idea that I could seduce him.”

Jack snickered. “I never thought I would ever hear you say that word.”

Sutton let out a throaty chuckle. “Well, it’s what I had planned. But, anyway, it kind of just happened. I told him it would be a mutual thing, friends helping friends.”

“It wasn’t, was it?” Jack whispered, taking her hand in his.

Sutton shook her head, tears beginning to threaten their flow once more. She looked Jack in the eye. “I wanted it to happen, Jack. I-I think I’ve been falling for him from the beginning. The night Danny and I went back to the hotel early in Paris, we could have slept together. He kissed me and we just didn’t stop, not until you, Henley, and Merritt came back.”

“Wow,” Jack muttered, standing up and pacing to help sort everything out. “Wait, does Henley know about this?”

Sutton shook her head. “N-No,” she stuttered. “God, I’m an awful person, Jack. I didn’t even have the guts to tell my own cousin.”

“Hey, hey. Don’t beat yourself up,” Jack instructed her. “I’m sure Danny will tell her. Even he has a guilty conscious, I’m sure.”

Sutton’s eyes grew wide. “She’ll kill him.”

“He’s dead when he sees me, so better for her to do it,” Jack smirked, pulling Sutton up from the floor and into a tight hug.

Sutton sighed, grateful to have at least one person know her secret. “Are you mad at me?” she asked Jack.

Jack huffed. “I could never be mad at you, Sutton. We’re best friends,” he told her, pulling away to look her in the eye. He showed her the friendship bracelet that she had made him, still tight around his wrist since the moment he opened the gift. Sutton smirked, rolling up her sleeve and showing him hers. “I just want to know; do you love him?” Jack asked, the question hanging in the air like a falling leaf.

For once, Sutton didn’t scold the person who referred to her feelings for Danny as love. Instead, she smiled. “Yeah, Jack, I do.”

Jack smiled at her, giving her a kiss on the forehead. “Then that’s good enough for me.”

Sutton giggled but realized she was missing something. “W-What if Danny doesn’t feel the same way?”

“Then I’ll kill him.”


	31. Chapter XXXI

“The point of why we are here,” Merritt addressed the camera in front of the three magicians from the 5 Pointz basement, “is to say we are not, we cannot quit now. We started something bigger than all of us. We have to finish it.”

“Remember the names Jack Wilder and Sutton Reeves,” Henley continued, her voice cracking, “when you see us live, 5 Pointz, Queens, 7 o’clock.”

Danny switched the camera off using a remote control, the three letting out a sigh of relief.

“This is ridiculous,” Merritt exclaimed. “I mean, Sutton and Jack aren’t really dead. I-I don’t feel comfortable mourning their deaths when they’re still out there.”

“What if they’re not?” Henley whispered, her fingers fiddling with the Velcro of her gloves.

Danny and Merritt looked at her, their mouths open in shock. “W-What are you saying?” Danny stuttered, placing a hand on Henley’s shoulder.

“I mean, what if they-they crashed somewhere after the fake car did and we didn’t see it?” Henley questioned, Merritt scoffing. “It could have happened, guys!” she yelled, her voice raising in pitch.

“Henley, they didn’t crash, trust me,” Merritt said. “Jack wouldn’t put Sutton’s life in danger and you know that.”

“I know he wouldn’t on purpose, Merritt, but I don’t even know if my baby cousin is alive.” Henley’s eyes began to fill with tears, her greatest fear finally bursting forth.

Danny swallowed, moving off the couch and away from the other two magicians. He went to a small room to think. He couldn’t listen to this right now. He was already scared that he may lose Sutton to Jack, and now he was fearing for her life. As the thoughts of Sutton ran through his mind, tears slowly began to trickle down the illusionist’s face. He quickly rubbed them away, his eyes burning from the action.

“This is stupid,” Danny told himself as he sniffled. “She’s alive. She’s fine.”

In the other room, Merritt slid over toward Henley, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “You can’t always protect her, Henley,” he reminded the escape artist. “Things are going to come up that force you to let her go on her own once in a while. You just need to trust that she’ll come back, safe and sound. I mean, you can’t protect her from a broken heart, right?” The mentalist made sure to project his voice for Danny to hear.

Henley sniffled. “I can protect her by killing the guy, right?” she joked.

“You may want to rethink that plan,” Merritt said, standing up as he saw Danny emerge, his eyes red.

Danny swallowed as Henley turned to look at him, her face morphed in confusion. “I-I think we should talk, Henley.”

Henley stared at him. “Then talk.”

“I-I may have broken S-Sutton’s heart,” the illusionist stuttered, swallowing hard. “W-We had sex.”

Henley’s mouth formed a straight, hard line. She turned to look at Merritt for confirmation, that this wasn’t just a sick joke. He nodded, the truth flowing from his eyes. The escape artist looked back at Danny, her face still frozen. “And why did you break her heart?”

“We, uh, we agreed that it would be mutual,” Danny confessed, his voice breaking.

Henley sat for a moment, her mind working around his words. “Y-You thought Sutton, my sweet, innocent cousin, walked into a situation as intimate as sex with no feelings?” Her voice was small but firm.

Danny swallowed once more. “I-I did, yes. It was so, so wrong of me, Henley. I have wished every single day since then that I could take it back. I-I didn’t want that to be the only time. I mean, not in that way. I-I, uh, I-“

“Shut up, Daniel!” Merritt exclaimed, silencing the stuttering man. “God, you’re only making this worse.”

Danny’s eyes flickered between the two magicians. He looked toward Merritt for help but he just shook his head. All was out of his control. Danny looked at Henley who only stared back at him, her eyes filling more and more with rage with each passing millisecond.

“You,” Henley spoke u, standing and digging her index finger into Danny’s chest, “slept with my cousin with no real concern for her feelings? Then still had the guts to tell me you wanted it to happen again?”

“No, Henley! God, no!” Danny blurted, backing away from the woman. “I-I mean I want to be with her, Henley. I want to be with Sutton. I don’t want her to be one of those girls that I sleep with and then never see again.” He took the risk and placed a hand on her forearm. Henley stared at the touch. “I’m in love with Sutton.”

Henley’s head slowly moved, her eyes shooting straight through Danny. “God, please no blood anywhere,” Merritt begged. “I don’t have the equipment to clean that up.”

“You-You what?” Henley questioned Danny.

Again, Danny swallowed. “I-I am in love with your cousin Sutton Reeves.”

Henley stared at him hard, studying the man. “Before you had sex, did you? Did you love her?”

Danny felt himself involuntarily smile. “Yeah, I did. I think I’ve been falling for her since the beginning.”

“I can’t watch this,” Merritt cringed, covering his face.

Instead of curse words flying from Henley’s mouth or her fist meeting Danny’s face, Henley smiled. “You’re in love with Sutton?” Again, Danny smiled wider, a nervous laugh escaping from his throat. “Danny, as much as I want to hate you right now, I can’t. If you love her, I-I can’t stop you from being with her.”

“Really?” the two men said in unison, surprise evident.

Henley nodded quickly. “I want Sutton to be happy. I mean, I don’t know how she truly feels about you, but if she went through all that, I know she has to feel something for you. Right, Merritt?” The mentalist smiled, nodding.

Danny laughed, relief lifting from his chest. Henley hugged him tightly, laughing as well. “I’m going to kill Sutton for not telling me,” she chuckled.

~~

“Get the money and run.” Sutton said. “Isn’t that from a movie or something?”

“I think it’s actually, “Take the money and run,”” Jack confirmed for her as they made their way over toward the warehouse.

“Huh, what do I know,” Sutton shrugged. “I can only quote Harry Potter, Scooby-Doo, and Friends.”

“You’re such a nerd,” Jack laughed, holding the door open for her.

“And you’re such a jerk,” Sutton joked, pulling down her goggles. “Dude, I feel like Johnny Depp when he played Willy Wonka.”

“On the plus side,” Jack said, fixing his own, “you’re still ten times hotter than him.”

“I’m so changing back into my other clothes after this,” Sutton said, rolling her eyes. “Oh, look! I guess Evans was at our first show,” she smiled as the man played his invisible violin.

“I guess your hypnosis trick really worked,” he joked, receiving a punch on the arm.

“Just smash the glass, funny guy.”

Jack chuckled, throwing the sledgehammer into the mirror. The glass shattered, collapsing into a beautiful mess.

“Just like my heart,” Sutton muttered under her breath.

Jack gave her a side hug. “Stop. No need to bring this party down, huh?” He pulled her along to the safe, where he applied a flammable substance and lit it on fire. The heavy material fell open to reveal stacks of money.

“Holy shit,” the two marveled, pulling off their goggles. They looked at one another, wide grins covering their faces.

“”Take the money and run,” right?” Sutton smirked.

“Right,” Jack laughed as he climbed inside the vault. “Knowing Thaddeus, he’s already parked near 5 Pointz.”


	32. Chapter XXXII

“What is magic?” Danny asked the audience as he stood in front of a large piece of equipment, his voice and physical projection speaking to them in an echo. “Magic is deception. But deception designed to delight, to entertain, to inspire.” He swallowed, glancing at Merritt and Henley. “It is about belief.”

“Faith,” Merritt added.

Henley smirked. “Trust.”

“Without those qualities,” Merritt continued, rubbing his hands together, “magic, as an art form, would no longer exist.”

“But what happens if these qualities,” Henley spoke, “are not used for their higher purpose? And instead they’re used to cheat, lie.”

“For personal gain or for greed,” Danny said. “Well, then it’s no longer magic.”

“It’s crime,” Merritt confirmed.

“And so tonight, for our final act, you’re gonna help us set a few things right,” Henley explained to the audience.

The muffled sound of the audience cheering was heard. The magicians left out a sigh. “Showtime,” Merritt told them, a smirk on his face.

~~

“Do you think they know we’re alive?” Sutton asked Jack as the wind picked up. Her long red hair wrapped itself around her as she and Jack walked toward Central Park. After loading the money into Thaddeus’s car, they decided it would be best to change back into their clothing they had on earlier in the day.

Jack swallowed. “I hope so. I didn’t steal that money for them to think we’re dead.”

Sutton giggled. “I mean, really. If you think about it, they don’t really know we’re alive. They basically just need to have faith in us.”

“That’s what magic is, right?” Jack smirked, standing in front of her and walking backward. “”It is about belief. Faith. Trust.””

Sutton giggled. “You ass!”

Jack laughed, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. Sutton wrapped an arm around his waist. “It’s not like they came up with that all on their own. I can be just as poetic as you, you know.”

“Yeah, I know,” Sutton smiled, pulling up the hood to her grey hoodie.

They came to a gate locking them from getting inside the park. Sutton looked up at Jack. “Nothing’s ever locked,” they grinned.

~~

“Daniel?” Merritt spoke as the crank of the elevator murmured.

“Yeah?” Danny said.

“Uh, as our, let’s call it, year of living dangerously comes to a close, in a rare moment of vulnerability, I’d like to express a sentiment to you about our relationship.”

Henley and Danny shared a smirk. “Okay,” Danny replied, trying hard not to laugh.

“Well, when I first met you, I thought you were kind of a dick,” Merritt blurted.

Danny and Henley chuckled. “And?” Henley urged the mentalist.

Merritt’s eyes grew wide. “Oh, no, that’s it. I’m not good with feelings. That’s Sutton’s realm of expertise.”

Danny grinned at the sound of Sutton’s name. “That’s very nice. I’m touched,” the illusionist expressed.

“Yeah, just from the heart,” Merritt reminded him, his hands covering his chest.

“Well, I didn’t tell you where I was touched,” Danny smirked.

“Oh, you!” Merritt smiled.

Henley giggled. “Oh, God. What are we gonna do when this is over?”

“We’re on our own,” Danny said. “Our instructions run out after the show.”

“I’ll tell you what you’re gonna do,” Merritt pointed at Danny. “You’re gonna tell that girl you’re in love with her.”

Danny smiled, rubbing the back of his neck. “I am,” he blushed.

Henley sighed, a grin spreading across her face. “Even if there is no “Eye,” if we were completely played and we spend the next 20 years in jail, then, I just want to say that…”

“I know. Me, too,” Danny finished for her as the elevator creaked to a halt.

“Whoa!” Merritt chuckled. “Little too sentimental for me.”

The elevator doors opened. They were only a rooftop away from freedom.

“Hello, New York!” Henley’s voice echoed through the air as her projection spoke from a platform 50 yards away from the magicians. “Thank you for the magic. And thank you for being such an incredible and dedicated audience. Unfortunately, like all good things, it must come to an end.”

“Why didn’t you just use a timer?” Henley groaned to Danny from the rooftop. “We could be long gone by now.”

“That wasn’t in the instructions!” Danny retorted.

“And so we’d like to start our show tonight,” Danny’s projection started.

“By saying goodbye,” Merritt’s finished.

“All we wanted was to bring the world to a magic show.”

“And thereby bring a little magic back to the world.”

The magicians on the rooftop watched as their projections held hands. The moment pulled on the heartstrings of the three more than they had imagined it would at the time it was recorded.

“This has been one hell of a ride for all of us,” Merritt’s projection spoke from the new platform 30 feet above the magicians. “But it’s time for us to disappear.”

“Good night, New York!” Danny’s projection yelled.

“And thank you for believing in us,” Merritt’s wrapped up.

“One, two, three,” Danny counted down, his thumb on the red button of the remote control, “four, five, six, seven, eight.” He hit the button, the sound of a gun echoing through the sky and money falling. The three Horsemen turned, running their hearts out.

“I can’t believe that FBI guy was really going to shoot us!” Merritt yelled as they ran down the stairs of the subway station.

“How do you know it was him?” Henley panted.

“Just mentalist intuition,” Merritt joked.

They hopped on a subway to the inner city. When they emerged from the stairs, they stopped to view the billboards, shining brightly with their magical deed. Various news stations were reporting on the missing magicians that exploded into money.

“We did it,” Henley laughed, grabbing a hold of Merritt’s jacket.

Merritt felt his eyes water, not believing that they really had. All he could do was nod and laugh.

Danny smiled up at the billboards as they continued to flash. He stepped forward a bit to read the one more closely. When he did, he felt something underneath his foot. He moved his foot to the side and crouched down to see what it was.

“A perfectly round pebble?” Henley said as she saw what he held. “In the middle of New York City? Wow, talk about a sign.”

Danny smiled. “It is a sign.”

Henley and Merritt shared a confused look. Shrugging, they started for Central Park, Danny following them with the pebble in his hand.


	33. Chapter XXXIII

“What’s taking them so long?” Sutton sighed as she sat beside Jack on a bench in Central Park, tying the top half of her hair into a bun at the back of her head.

“Relax, they’ll be here soon,” Jack told her, setting his hand on her knee to stop her legs from shaking.

Sutton huffed, bringing her knees up to her chest. Absentmindedly, her fingers played with the anklet from Danny. Jack noticed and asked, “Where did you get that?”

“Hmm?” Sutton hummed, a smile plastered across her face.

Jack laughed, glad to see her so happy. “Where did you get that anklet, Sut? I never thought to ask you.”

“Danny,” she giggled. “It was my Christmas present. You know, besides the Scooby-Doo shirt.”

Jack nodded. “It’s not better than my bracelet, right?”

“Of course not,” Sutton giggled. “Hey, I’m gonna start looking for a sign or something to tell us why we’re here. I’ll be back when the others get here.”

Before Jack had time to answer, Sutton was off. A few minutes passed by before the chain on the gate began to rattle. “It’s locked,” Henley’s voice complained.

“Weren’t you listening?” Jack questioned her as he walked to the gate. The three magicians shined their lights on him. “Nothing’s ever locked.”

Merritt and Henley cheered for Jack. “Well done, Mr. Wilder! Good work,” Henley congratulated him.

“You’re a big boy now, Jack,” Merritt smiled as Jack opened the lock once more.

“Where’s Sutton?” Danny asked, suddenly coming alive.

“Um, she’s looking for some sort of sign for why we’re here,” Jack stated. “Danny, I know about you and Sutton. I’m not saying I support what you d-“

“Hey, guys. I didn’t find anything while on my little adventure but-“

“Sutton!” Danny exclaimed, his face lighting up at the very sight of her rounding the corner. He sprinted toward her, Sutton unsure what to do with herself in that moment except blush. “Sutton,” Danny breathed as he placed his hands on her cheeks, a smile plastered across each of their faces.

Sutton placed her hands on Danny’s cheeks, staring into his icy blue eyes. “Danny, I-“

“Don’t,” Danny said. “Don’t say anything.” With nervous fingers, he removed the pebble he found in the city from his pocket. Sutton gave his a confused look as Danny brought the pebble into view between the two. “When I was being interrogated, the Interpol agent told me there would come a time when I would be sure that you’re the one for me. I found this pebble in the middle of New York City. Do you know how rare that is with all the commotion and people?”

Sutton’s eyes began to tear up at Danny’s speech. She shook her head, afraid that by opening her mouth that the tears would fall and she would sound like a babbling idiot.

“Well, it’s pretty rare,” he smiled, glancing over at Henley who laughed. “I’m giving you this pebble, Sutton Reeves, because when a male penguin falls in love with a female penguin, he searches for the perfect pebble to give her as a way to say ‘I love you.’”

Sutton gasped, her tears suddenly springing forth as she covered her mouth. “Danny, I-I love you, too,” she cried. Danny laughed, removing Sutton’s hand from her mouth and giving her the pebble. Sutton tucked it inside the pocket of her jeans as Danny wiped her tears away with his thumb.

Once again, Danny placed his hands on Sutton’s cheeks, and Sutton wrapped her arms around Danny’s neck. Their foreheads touched, the two smiling as they breathed in each other’s air. For a moment, it was as though the other Horsemen didn’t exist.

“For crying out loud, you two!” Merritt hollered. “Just kiss already!” Henley flung her arm into his stomach, a groan erupting from the mentalist.

Danny and Sutton laughed, their lips crashing onto one another’s. It was as though they were kissing for the very first time. The very first time that their true feelings could finally be shown, no guilt hanging over their heads. As their lips moved in sync, Danny wrapped his arms around Sutton’s waist, lifting her off the ground and spinning her.

“I promised myself I wouldn’t cry,” Merritt sniffled, pretending to wipe away his tears.

“I really am crying,” Henley choked out a laugh.

“Come on, you two,” Jack pleaded. “Don’t start this. I mean, look at them.” Danny set Sutton back down on the ground, their lips releasing for air as their foreheads came together again, smiles plastered as before. Jack smiled and choked out, “Their finally happy.”

“Okay, I want a hug!” Henley squealed as she ran toward Sutton. Laughing, Danny reluctantly pulled away from her. The cousins held onto each other for some time before speaking.

“I’m so, so sorry I never told you,” Sutton told Henley as they pulled away.

“Don’t be sorry,” Henley reassured her with a smile as she flattened down Sutton’s hair. “I’m not saying I’m happy to have found out from Danny,” she said with a glare toward the illusionist, “but I couldn’t be happier to see you smile like this.”

Sutton opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. Instead, she just shook her head, a smile pulling at the edges of her lips.

“Do you really love him, Sut?” Henley smiled. Sutton nodded her head furiously. “And this isn’t just you being under some spell of Danny’s?” All the Horsemen laughed, the group coming together for one big hug.

Danny cleared his throat as the group released their hug. “So, um, can we go find-“

“Lead the way, control freak!” Merritt gestured for Danny.

The group walked together for a few minutes, not a single sign of why they were instructed to go to Central Park.

“What if all this was just leading up to us getting mugged in Central Park at 2:00 a.m.?” Merritt questioned as the Horsemen rounded a tree.

“No, I’m tell you we’re right where we need to be,” Danny confidently told him. Sutton turned as she held onto Danny’s hand. “We just have to find-”

“That?” Sutton and Henley interrupted, smiles emerging across their faces as the boys turned.

“The Lionel Shrike tree,” Danny spoke, his excitement evident in his voice. He smiled at Sutton who gave him a small kiss on the cheek.

“And the card encased in glass,” Henley added.

“What do we do now?” Merritt asked, stating the question they were all thinking.

Henley slowly removed her tarot card from her back pocket, the others mimicking her. The Lover card flew with a snap to the High Priestess. The Hermit next, and then Death. The Tower finished the stack of five off.

“Move it across the card, Hen,” Sutton nudged her. Henley nodded, doing as Sutton encouraged. The card illuminated, a blue glow taking over the king of spades.

“Oh, nice!” Merritt smirked.

Just then, carousel music began to play. The heads of the five Horsemen snapped in the direction of the catchy toon as the lights burst on. As though the horses were powered by song, they began to move.

Sutton bit her lip, smiling at Danny. “What are we waiting for?” With that, the team made their move, traveling over toward the mysterious carnival ride. As they stepped closer, the Horsemen were welcomed by a familiar face, yet shocked beyond belief.

 


	34. Chapter XXXIV

“Oh, my God!” Merritt exclaimed. “I did not see that coming. That’s impossible!”

“No way,” Jack muttered, at a loss for any other words.

“That was actually, uh, pretty good,” Danny admitted as Sutton gripped Danny’s hand tighter in amazement.

“Thank you,” FBI Agent Dylan Rhodes smiled.

“When I said, “Always be the smartest guy in the room-“”

“We were in agreement,” Dylan nodded toward the illusionist. “Henley. Sutton.”

The girls gawked at the revelation before them. “I’ve never seen them speechless,” Danny smirked, pointing to the girls.

Dylan smiled. “I take that as a huge compliment.” His eyes traveled down to Danny and Sutton’s hands. “I see you finally took Agent Dray’s advice, Atlas.”

“Um, y-yeah,” Danny blushed. “We know it wasn’t part of the plan bu-“

Dylan laughed as he waved his hand out in front of him. “Love is never part of the plan. Don’t apologize for your feelings.” Sutton and Danny smiled at each other, their lips interlocking in a short kiss.

“Hey, man, I-I-I am so sorry for kicking your ass. Really,” Jack stuttered, his nerves showing.

“Um, me, too,” Sutton shyly smiled as she held onto Danny’s arm, hiding her face behind him slightly. Dylan chuckled.

“Hey, listen, for the record, I-I have always been a 100% believer,” Merritt lied with a smile as the other Horsemen snickered. “And the amount of energy I have expended to keep these infidels on point-“ he laughed as Henley hit him.

“Merritt, you’re in,” Dylan smiled.

“God bless.”

“Come,” Dylan instructed as he walked up the stairs of the carousel. “The real magic is taking five strong acts and making them all work together. And that’s exactly what you did. So, welcome.” The five magicians stared at him. “Welcome to The Eye.” With that, Dylan hopped onto the carousel.

Without hesitation, the magicians rounded and hopped the fence. They took quick glances at one another, smiles emerging before Sutton and Danny squeezed each other’s hands one more time. Henley, Jack, and Merritt were first on the carousel. Just as Danny made his move, Sutton placed her other hand on his forearm, pulling him back to her. Danny looked at her, concerned.

“Danny, what if, when we cross this line, everything changes?” Sutton asked him, a look of worry evident. She bit her lip to suppress her nerves.

A chuckle erupted from Danny’s throat. Sutton narrowed her eyebrows. “Of course everything will change, Sutton.”

Sutton let out a frustrated sigh. “Danny, this isn’t a joke.”

Danny smiled, placing a hand on her cheek. “I’m not joking, Sut. Did you ever look up the meaning of your card?”

“Yeah.” Danny raised an eyebrow, encouraging her to explain. “The tower symbolizes danger, crisis, destruction, sudden change…”

“Exactly,” Danny said as he kissed her forehead. “Sudden change. It also means that the thing you thought to be true is suddenly false.”

“I don’t understand,” Sutton admitted with defeat, shaking her head.

“You told me that you believed love to not exist, to be an illusion.” Sutton bit her lip as Danny talked. “Do you still believe that? Are we just “blinded by love,” trapped in its powers?”

Sutton let out a laugh. “No.”

Danny smiled, wrapping his arms around her tightly. Sutton mimicked his actions. “Sutton, what you once believed to be true is now false, based on your own feelings. And, yes, everything will change, because as soon as we step onto that carousel, we will become part of something much bigger than us. And, maybe I’ll finally get the courage to ask you to be my girlfriend. In front of everyone.”

Sutton’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Then what are we waiting for, Lover?” she winked as she pulled away from Danny, holding his hands in hers.

With one last laugh and a smile, they turned to the moving horses and jumped, their hold never breaking from one another.

~~

“Explain this to me again,” Merritt begged Dylan as the six team members stood in a building with a large open area in New York City.

Sutton sighed. “Really? How can you not follow that?” Danny snickered, loving her annoyance with Merritt. Merritt raised an eyebrow at her, a smirk playing on his lips. “Maybe you’ll understand better without the details. Dylan helped guide us through this Robin Hood adventure in order to give Thaddeus and Tressler what they deserved.”

“And so we wouldn’t get caught by the FBI?”

“Duh!” Henley joined in.

Merritt held a hand to his chest, a shocked expression plastered across his face. “No need to be so rude, Reeves Girls.” The girls grinned at one another.

“There is, however, one complication,” Dylan interjected. The Horsemen turned to him, their smiles disappearing. “Now, I don’t want to do this but I have orders from The Eye that-“

“We’ll do it!” Danny blurted. “Anything. Whatever it is. We worked too hard to end this thing now.” The others looked at one another, nodding their heads in agreement.

“As dumb as this sounds, you’ll be separated into two apartments.”

“What?” the Horsemen exclaimed, a roar of fits erupting.

“Hey, guys! Guys!” Sutton yelled, trying to calm them all down. Sucking in a breath, Sutton gave a high-pitched whistle. The Horsemen covered their ears.

“Thank you, Sutton,” Dylan smiled at her. Sutton returned it half-heartedly. “The Eye has decided to do this the traditional way. Sutton and Henley, you’ll stay together. Danny, Jack, and Merritt, you’ll-“

“Don’t even say it,” Danny said, pinching the bridge of his nose. Sutton grabbed his arm, squeezing it gently.

“Sweet!” Jack yelled. “We can totally make bunk beds!”

“I’m going to end up dead, you know?” Danny whispered to Sutton who chuckled lightly.

“There’s a few more catches,” Dylan said as he paced the floor in front of them, rubbing his jaw. “First, you can’t go out in broad daylight. You’ll be easily recognized. If you want to go anywhere, make sure your head is covered and your face not easily recognizable. Second, don’t do anything to draw attention to yourself. Fans will be looking for you. All of you.”

“What about us?” Jack asked, pointing between him and Sutton.

“You’re supposed to be dead,” Dylan reminded them. “If you two get caught, we’re in some serious trouble.” Jack and Sutton slumped their shoulders, feeling the weight of defeat take over them. “But, I’m not saying you can’t travel like the others at night.” The duo lit up, thankful for that small detail.

“Is that it?” Henley sighed, crossing her arms.

Dylan nodded. “Oh, and don’t pick up any routines. This applies for all of you. If you get in the habit of traveling at the same time on the same day, people will get suspicious.” The five friends nodded. “Are there any questions?” The Horsemen shook their heads, trying to process all the information.

“I have one.” Danny turned toward Sutton, a smile plastered across his face as he held her hands. “Sutton Sawyer Reeves, will you be my official girlfriend, and not just a one-night stand?”

Sutton giggled, wrapping her arms around Danny’s neck. “I’d love to be unlucky number 13.” She kissed him, a roar of cheers erupting from their fellow Horsemen.

“Wait, wait, wait!” Dylan calmed the crowd. “You already slept together?” Sutton and Danny exchanged a quick look, and smiled sideways at Dylan. Dylan shook his head. “What have you gotten us into?”


	35. Chapter XXXV

Sutton knocked her knuckles against the door of Dylan’s bedroom the next morning. Everyone else was still sleeping on air mattresses in the large open area.

“Come in,” Dylan said as he rustled himself together, pulling on a t-shirt.

“Hey,” Sutton smiled as she pushed open the heavy door. “Geez, how is it fair that you get to live in luxury and we’re on air mattresses?”

Dylan chuckled. “If I remember correctly, Jack was just complaining about him and Danny having to sleep on air mattresses for a year. I still don’t get how Merritt slept on a couch this whole time.”

“Don’t question it, trust me” Sutton laughed as she sat down on the bed beside him. “Can I ask you something?”

“Anything,” Dylan smiled lightly as he sat beside her, folding his hands together.

Sutton sucked in a breath. “Why did you recruit me?”

Dylan laughed. “Sutton, really? Isn’t it pretty obvious?”

Sutton shook her head. “I didn’t bring anything new to the table. I’m a mentalist who dabbles in card tricks. I’m, like, a backup to Merritt and Jack.”

Dylan shook his head, his shoulders heaving as his lungs erupted in laughter. “Out of all the Horsemen, I knew you would be the one to question your abilities.”

Sutton bit her lip. “I guess old habits of questioning one’s self die hard.”

Dylan looked at the girl sitting beside him and took her hands in his. “Sutton, I wanted you to be part of this team for more than just your magical skills. I wanted you here because I knew what the others needed.”

Sutton scrunched her eyebrows together. “I don’t get it.”

“Think about it,” the sixth Horsemen said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “Henley needed another girl to control the guys. More importantly, she needed her cousin, the one person in her life who has been constant ever since you became the Reeves Girls. She wouldn’t have done this without you, and you know it.”

Sutton grinned. “Henley could have handled the guys alone.”

Dylan smiled, continuing. “Merritt needed someone who he could call family. He needed that one person who he felt responsible for to give him a sense of, let’s say, maturity. After losing everything, he needed someone to welcome him into a family again. He considers you a daughter, you know?”

Sutton shook her head, tears filling her eyes. “I never knew that.”

“Jack needed a best friend,” Dylan explained. “He’s been living on his own for years now, never having a place to call home. With you by his side, he was able to become comfortable again. You helped bring him realization that he isn’t just a pickpocket but someone’s best friend and family.”

At this point, a tear slid down Sutton’s cheek. She wiped it away quickly. “Sorry.”

“Don’t apologize,” Dylan told her. “And Danny, he needed you more than I think either of you will ever know. He needed someone to knock him down a few pegs and deflate his head.” Sutton laughed. “But, you needed him just as much. You both deserved to find love after never truly feeling it, or after believing it was only an illusion.”

Sutton stared at him. “You knew?”

“I knew,” Dylan nodded. “Love is more than just an illusion, Sutton, and I’m glad you finally realized it.”

Sutton looked down at her fingers to play with her ring. “What about you?” Dylan furrowed his eyebrows. “What about Alma?”

Dylan let out a long sigh. “She went back to Paris. She’s Interpol, Sutton. She can’t stay here forever.”

“Did you get to say goodbye?”

“In a way, yes,” Dylan said, not so sure of himself.

“Did you kiss her?”

Dylan laughed. “How old are you?”

“Funny. Danny asked me the same thing before when I suggested we play 20 questions.”

Dylan raised an eyebrow. “Is that how you ended up sleeping together?”

“No!” Sutton shouted. “Geez, no!” As Dylan laughed, Sutton said, “You liked her, didn’t you?”

Dylan nodded. “I did, yeah. She managed to know me better than anyone in a short amount of time.”

Placing her hands around his, Sutton instructed Dylan to go after her. “You need to go to Paris. Just go and have closure with her. Tell her how much you wish you could be together, even if you can’t.”

“This isn’t a chick-flick, Sutton,” Dylan said, standing up and scratching the back of his neck.

“I don’t care what this is,” Sutton smiled at him. “Danny and I aren’t the only ones that deserve to be happy.” She stood, placing a hand on Dylan’s forearm. “Even if it’s just for that moment, I know it will mean more to her than nothing at all.”

“This is stupid.” Dylan shook his head, trying to convince himself.

“But?”

“But, okay. I’ll do it, on one condition. You and the others come with me. You can have the trip to Paris that you never really got.”

Sutton squealed with excitement. “Yes! Yes! Totally yes!” She ran out of Dylan’s room, screaming, “Pack a bag, guys! We’re going to the city of love!”

“Shut up! I’m sleeping!” Jack yelled, throwing a pillow at her.

Sutton grunted as the fluffy object hit her stomach, knocking her off balance as she fell back on someone’s air mattress.

“Well, if you wanted to sleep with me again, all you had to do was ask,” Danny winked as he rolled over and kissed Sutton.

~~

Dylan’s plane dropped the six Horsemen off at an airport in Paris, and the FBI agent was off to find his beloved Interpol agent.

“I can smell the delicious Paris food now!” Merritt exclaimed as he bounded off the plane.

“We’re at an airport! You can’t smell anything except fuel,” Henley corrected him as she bounded off the plane behind him.

Jack burped as he emerged. “I could go for some French fries, French toast, French bread.”

Danny slapped the back of Jack’s head. “Just because French is in their name doesn’t mean that’s the only food available here.”

Sutton ran up and grabbed Danny’s hand. “Don’t hit him. That’s my job.”

“Feel the love, Jack,” Jack spoke to himself. “Feel the love.”

Sutton chuckled, pulling herself close to Danny as the two walked behind the other Horsemen.. “Promise we’ll be okay?”

Danny stopped in his tracks, wrapping his arms around Sutton’s waist. “Promise,” he whispered, bringing their lips together in a long kiss.

“Hold up, guys,” Henley told the others as she noticed the couple had stopped.

“Please get a room,” Jack told them as he shielded his eyes.

“I’ve already gone blind from this lovey dovey crap,” Merritt announced.

As Danny and Sutton pulled apart, they laughed. Sutton looked around at the four people she loved more than anything. “Group hug!” she exclaimed, her arms outstretched.

Even though the others groaned, they obliged with smiles on their faces. They were a family. A messed up one but the best any of them ever had.


	36. Author's Note

Hello, my beautiful lovelies! <3

Each and every one of you has been with Sutton, the Horsemen, and myself since you have been reading “Love is Only an Illusion,” and I cannot thank you enough! I will admit, I was quite indecisive about whether to even bother posting my story to the World Wide Web, as my stories have had mixed reviews in the past. However, I am more than glad that I decided to share it with you. I will forever be indebted to each of you for giving me back my love of writing. My heart needed it, especially in times of extreme stress and sadness.

I fell in love with “Now You See Me” the moment I saw it in 2013, but it took some time for me to put my love for the magical Robin Hoods into writing. I was not sure if I wanted to skip right into the adventures of the Horsemen like the film does, or give the characters a backstory to show how they indeed became a family. With the route I decided to take, I also had to choose how to bring the Horsemen to life, as the movie did not focus on them. This element would indeed become the most crucial, as Danny and Sutton needed to be able to connect in a realistic fashion, and not simply “fall in love at first sight” or “hate each other so much that they fell in love.”

Speaking of Sutton, I need to express my overwhelming joy that so many of you fell in love with her just as Danny did. So many of you have called her original, human, and relatable. Her relationship with Danny has been described as one of the most realistic original character relationships read by many of you, even going as far to describe it as canon. These comments always brought tears to my eyes, as this is the highest compliment a fanfiction writer can be given.

Sutton has quickly become a part of me, as she is based on myself. I know; a typical fanfiction writer move, right? Well, in the past I have done the same, but I have never stayed true to myself as I wrote the character. For “Love is Only an Illusion,” it was quite different. Everything Sutton is, said, and did is me to a T (sexual frustrations and all!). I poured my heart and soul into her, and I thank you all for accepting her as she is- real. This certainly has given me- as a person- more confidence to just be myself.

Although my writing for “Love is Only an Illusion” has come to an end, please know that this is certainly not the end of “Now You See Me” material from yours truly. I plan on continuing to write imagines (based on requests and my own imagination) to keep the fandom alive on the Internet. Bare with me though- I am a senior in college!

Many of you have also expressed your concern for my original group of Horsemen. I have been asked if I will continue to write for the second movie, how I might go about it, and if I have a title. Well, here is your answer: I most certainly plan on writing for the second movie. Please hold your excitement, though.

As much as I would love to start writing for the second movie ASAP, I am afraid to. This fear comes from the probability of a third installment to the series in the works by Lionsgate. There are no solid details on its plot or cast. That being said, if this third installment is not based on the Horsemen we have come to know and love, there will be a second part to my original series, but no third one. If Jesse Eisenberg decides not to be in the third movie but the other Horsemen are, I will debate whether or not to write a third portion of my story, but a second one will come.

Once more information is released about the third movie, I will report back to you on how I plan to go about the second portion of my series. Until then, I will go about writing imagines and thinking of different plots for the second portion, which I plan to title, “Love is Like a Playing Card.”

This is a lot to take in at the moment, I am sure, but I wanted to ensure you that I am not leaving my love for the “Now You See Me” franchise behind after the completion of my most beloved original story. If you have any questions, comments, concerns, requests, or just want to talk, please do not hesitate to reach out to me!

Thank you all again for your continued support throughout Sutton and Danny’s magical journey toward love. It has been one wild ride, indeed!

Until “Love is Like a Playing Card,” I wish you all the best in life, and will always be sending you my love!

Hello, my beautiful lovelies! <3

Each and every one of you has been with Sutton, the Horsemen, and myself since you have been reading “Love is Only an Illusion,” and I cannot thank you enough! I will admit, I was quite indecisive about whether to even bother posting my story to the World Wide Web, as my stories have had mixed reviews in the past. However, I am more than glad that I decided to share it with you. I will forever be indebted to each of you for giving me back my love of writing. My heart needed it, especially in times of extreme stress and sadness.

I fell in love with “Now You See Me” the moment I saw it in 2013, but it took some time for me to put my love for the magical Robin Hoods into writing. I was not sure if I wanted to skip right into the adventures of the Horsemen like the film does, or give the characters a backstory to show how they indeed became a family. With the route I decided to take, I also had to choose how to bring the Horsemen to life, as the movie did not focus on them. This element would indeed become the most crucial, as Danny and Sutton needed to be able to connect in a realistic fashion, and not simply “fall in love at first sight” or “hate each other so much that they fell in love.”

Speaking of Sutton, I need to express my overwhelming joy that so many of you fell in love with her just as Danny did. So many of you have called her original, human, and relatable. Her relationship with Danny has been described as one of the most realistic original character relationships read by many of you, even going as far to describe it as canon. These comments always brought tears to my eyes, as this is the highest compliment a fanfiction writer can be given.

Sutton has quickly become a part of me, as she is based on myself. I know; a typical fanfiction writer move, right? Well, in the past I have done the same, but I have never stayed true to myself as I wrote the character. For “Love is Only an Illusion,” it was quite different. Everything Sutton is, said, and did is me to a T (sexual frustrations and all!). I poured my heart and soul into her, and I thank you all for accepting her as she is- real. This certainly has given me- as a person- more confidence to just be myself.

Although my writing for “Love is Only an Illusion” has come to an end, please know that this is certainly not the end of “Now You See Me” material from yours truly. I plan on continuing to write imagines (based on requests and my own imagination) to keep the fandom alive on the Internet. Bare with me though- I am a senior in college!

Many of you have also expressed your concern for my original group of Horsemen. I have been asked if I will continue to write for the second movie, how I might go about it, and if I have a title. Well, here is your answer: I most certainly plan on writing for the second movie. Please hold your excitement, though.

As much as I would love to start writing for the second movie ASAP, I am afraid to. This fear comes from the probability of a third installment to the series in the works by Lionsgate. There are no solid details on its plot or cast. That being said, if this third installment is not based on the Horsemen we have come to know and love, there will be a second part to my original series, but no third one. If Jesse Eisenberg decides not to be in the third movie but the other Horsemen are, I will debate whether or not to write a third portion of my story, but a second one will come.

Once more information is released about the third movie, I will report back to you on how I plan to go about the second portion of my series. Until then, I will go about writing imagines and thinking of different plots for the second portion, which I plan to title, “Love is Like a Playing Card.”

This is a lot to take in at the moment, I am sure, but I wanted to ensure you that I am not leaving my love for the “Now You See Me” franchise behind after the completion of my most beloved original story. If you have any questions, comments, concerns, requests, or just want to talk, please do not hesitate to reach out to me!

Thank you all again for your continued support throughout Sutton and Danny’s magical journey toward love. It has been one wild ride, indeed!

Until “Love is Like a Playing Card,” I wish you all the best in life, and will always be sending you my love!


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